Fairy Tail Misfits
by SummerFaerie917
Summary: All Lucy wants is to have a normal life at her high school. But its hard for things to be normal when your friends are the legendary Misfits of Fairy Tail High. Not only that, but they also happen to be her neighbor! And then there's her feelings for the biggest misfit of all. Where did she go wrong?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey people! Welcome to my second story! Not much to say, so I hope you enjoy it.**

 **I do not own the FT characters. Only this story.**

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Chapter 1

If I had known that everything that happened would happen, I would have just stayed home. Though, everything happens for a reason, as my mom always said. It had been beautiful that day, and I liked the way the summer sun felt on my skin; it warmed me up, and made me feel more awake.

I contemplated on staying in and working on my novel, but mom and dad had told me that I should get out a bit before we went school shopping. I told them I didn't want to, but really, I thought a walk was just what I needed to help with my writer's block. _Besides,_ I thought as I grabbed my keys and bag. _Something good might happen to me today_. Little did I know, something would happen, and that something would change my life.

Going down the stairs of my new house, I called out, "Mom, I'm going out!"

She yelled back from the kitchen, "Okay sweetie, be home by six!"

"I will!"

I walked out and down to the bus station, taking in my surroundings. People were talking on their phones or read the news or chatted to their friends, and occasionally people would hand out flyers for some event that was happening. It seemed like such a normal day, that at first I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. Then I heard a faint noise.

Thinking I was imagining it, I almost walked away when I heard it again.

It was the sound of crying.

I would've thought of it as my wild imagination, since Magnolia had a lot of gangs in the city, but I knew that my mind wouldn't have come up with something like that. After debating for a few seconds, I ran in the direction of the sound. Turning the corner, I saw that a crowd was gathering. Ignoring the sounds of annoyance from the bystanders, I pushed my way into the front. What I saw made my heart skip a beat as I let out a gasp.

There was a little girl being held back by two thugs as another little kid, this one a boy, was getting kicked repeated by another thug. The girl had blue hair and dark eyes, and the boy had dark hair and eyes.

"Oh, you got nothing to say now, huh, little boy? This will teach you not to mess with us," the person kicking him said with a cackle. The girl screamed, "Stop! Please, leave Romeo alone!"

The boy looked at her and smiled. "Don't worry Wendy. It'll be alright. These guys are nothing." A kick in the ribs interrupted him as he let a groan.

"Hah! Don't act so tough kid! You mess with Bora, you face the consequences."

 _Bora. Where have I heard that name before?_ I asked myself. _And more importantly, why isn't anyone doing anything?_ Everyone watching just stood there. Even though they seemed upset, they didn't step in and help the kids. Normally, I would get the cops, but by the time they showed up, the scumbags would probably be done beating the poor boy up. I didn't know what to do.

 _What do I do? What do I do?_

A kick. A cry of pain. Tears ran down Wendy's face. "Please! Somebody help!"

The man's foot swung back in preparation for another attack, then forward.

"Please!"

There was a buzzing sound, and the man went stiff for a few seconds before collapsing, twitching every few seconds. The crowd gasped.

Wendy and Romeo watched as I set the taser's level higher. "Get away from them." The two men holding Wendy released her and rushed towards their companion as she went to Romeo. Kneeling down, I helped Romeo to stand. "Are you okay?" I asked him.

He nodded. "Thank you miss." Wendy hugged him, crying, "Don't scare me like that ever again, okay?" He smiled and returned the hug. "Okay," he murmured.

"Hey, blondie!" I turned to see one of the men holding a baseball bat. "How dare you! We'll teach you a lesson!" Then he swung. I wasn't close enough to tase him. I covered my head with my arms, hoping that by some miracle, I wouldn't be beaten to a pulp, just as I heard Wendy cry, "No!"

I closed my eyes and waited for the pain to come, and…

…nothing.

"Hey, meatheads! Pick on someone your own size."

 _Huh? Who is that?_

I opened my eyes and looked up. Standing in front of me was a incredibly cute boy. He had pink hair, onyx orbs, and toned muscles. On his neck was a white scarf with a scale-like pattern. The newcomer looked down at me and smiled. "Hey, there. You alright?"

"Y-Yeah, I am. Thanks." He offered me his hand and I took it, getting to my feet. A few feet away was the man who was about to hit me, along with his buddies. They were tied up on the ground. Standing next to Wendy and Romeo were two more people, a girl with red hair and a boy with black hair and no shirt on. "Come on, Gray! Can't you leave your clothes on for a minute?" the boy next to me groaned.

The boy, Gray, turned and glared at the pinkette next to me. "Oh, shut it, flame brain!"

"Or what?"

"Or I'll-"

"Boys." They froze and turned to the redhead, who was glaring at them, a dark aura surrounding her. "Stop this fighting at once." They immediately linked arms together, squeaking, "Aye, sir!" The girl nodded and turned to me. As soon as her back was to them, the two boys glared at each other.

"Thank you," she said. "I am Erza, and these two are Gray and Natsu." Erza pointed to the dark haired boy and the pink haired boy, and they waved a hello. "I apologize if you were troubled by this. If you hadn't shown up when you did, Romeo's condition would have been even worse off. For that, I am grateful."

I shook my head. "Its fine. I hate people like that, and I couldn't stand there and watch him get hurt." Turning to Natsu, I smiled. "Also, thanks for what you did back there."

He grinned. "No problem." Before he could say anything, a policeman pushed his way through the throng and came up to us. "You are all under arrest," he said.

"W-What?! We didn't do anything!" Natsu exclaimed. I nodded. "He's right. They were the ones who started it. They beat Romeo up." I pointed to the thugs.

"There are no excuses. You all disrupting the peace, so I must take you into custody."

"But-" Natsu started, but Erza stopped him. "Look, lets just do what he says, okay? We shouldn't cause more of a scene." Natsu's hands tightened into fists, but he said nothing.

Erza turned to the officer. "Okay then, we are ready."

* * *

Two hours later, mom hugged me as dad talked to the officer. "Are you okay? We were so worried, getting a call from the police," she said worriedly, checking me over as if she could find any sign that I was hurt.

"I'm fine, mom. Really," I assured her. An old man came in. He was really short with white hair and sideburns. He had to be the group's guardian, because they were standing up. He walked in and slapped Gray and Natsu on the head. "You've gone and done it again!" the old man bellowed. "Why do you always manage to cause trouble? I told you all to behave, but you didn't listen. Why do I even bother to tell you to be good if it only goes out the other ear? Huh?!"

"But Gramps, we-" Natsu started.

"Silence! I will not have any excuses, young man! When we get home-"

I tapped his shoulder. "Um, excuse me, sir." The old man turned to me. Natsu and the others had shocked and confused looks on their faces. I didn't know what I was doing, only that since they helped me out, I would return the favor.

"Please don't be angry at them," I began. "It was all my fault. These thugs were annoying me, and Romeo came in to defend me. I couldn't do anything to stop them. I'm sorry that he got hurt, and I'm thankful that Natsu and Gray and Erza stepped in, because if they hadn't, I don't know what would've happened to me. So, I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused."

The old man was silent for a while, looking at Natsu and the others, who were looking at me. I held my breath, waiting for his reply. Finally he stirred. "Well, it isn't a big deal. I'm glad that they helped you out. I would've been more angry if they had done nothing. But really," he added, turning back to the two older boys. "Did you have to make such a commotion?"

Gray frowned while Natsu laughed. "Oh, come on, Gramps! You know I can't resist fighting. And I can't help the fact that they always lose."

"Natsu…" Erza warned.

Mom walked up to Natsu. "Thank you for helping my daughter. It means a lot to me." She turned to Romeo. "And you as well, young boy. I'm so grateful to you." Romeo started saying something, but I shook my head, and he fell silent.

"Well, we must get going." The old man walked away, the group running after him.

"So, what's for dinner, Gramps? Cause I'm starving!" Natsu asked.

The man sighed. "I'm too old for this…"

After they left, dad sighed as well and looked at me. "We should get going, too. Come on, lets go home."

We started walking. "Am I in trouble?" I asked them.

"No, sweetheart. We're glad you're okay, and glad that those people stepped in to help you," he said.

"Yeah," I agreed, smiling at the thought of my saviors. "Me too. I hope I get to meet them again."

Little did I know, I would see them again, and that that meeting would be the beginning of our friendship.

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 **So, the first chapter. I hope you guys like it enough to continue reading. Also, I'm sorry if Gramps seems like a terrible person, but I'll try to paint him in a better light if you didn't like that part.**

 **And, there will be a certain petite sized, book loving character soon. I wonder who that could be. Keep an eye out, my lovelies. Addio!**

 **P.S. : That's italian for goodbye.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Presenting to all you wonderful viewers...The Second Chapter! ( _OMG! You're so amazing, SummerFaerie917! I love you!_ )**

 ***Fake Bows* Thank you, thank you very much! *wink***

 **Sorry, I'm such a goofball. Please don't mind me, this is the norm. But really, thank you my lovelies. Hope you enjoy. Bon Apetit!**

 **P.S. : Just in case your freaking out right now, I meant that I hope you eat the words like you would eat food, and find it amazing.**

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Chapter 2

Mom and I were baking cookies when there was a knock on the door. We looked at each other. "Who on earth could that be?" I wondered, and she shrugged. It could be one of our neighbors, welcoming us to the neighborhood. We had arrived here two weeks ago, but I still had boxes left to unpack. It was strange that only now they'd welcome us.

"I'll get it," I said, getting up as there was another knock.

"Coming!" I called out. Walking to the door, I heard voices from the other side, muffled by the wood.

One voice said, "What if they're weird?"

"Hey, stop it," Another voice replied.

"Yeah, they could be sweet people. We wouldn't know," A third voice said. It sounded like a girl.

There was thump, followed by a curse. " Wendy, you believe all people are good." Something tickled at the back of my mind. I've heard that name before. But where?

"Oh, come on, lighten up, Stripper, " A fourth voice chided cheerfully.

"Oh shut up, squinty eyes," the first voice fumed.

"You wanna go there, droopy eyes?"

There were two more thumps, and cries of pain. "Both of you, stop it right now," the second voice said. I sighed, deciding I'd heard enough. I opened the door, prepared to tell the people fighting in front of my house to leave, even if they were my neighbors.

I froze.

One second went by.

Two seconds.

Then…

"Hey, the girl from the other day!"

"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered.

It was Natsu and his group, holding boxes in their hands. Natsu smiled at me. "This is so cool! You're our new neighbor! You never told us your name, you know."

Gray sighed. "Leave her alone, Natsu. You'll freak her out."

I turned to him. "I don't think you should be talking…" I said, pointing down and blushing.

"Crap! Not again!" he exclaimed as he noticed his pants were gone. Wendy was covering her eyes and blushing heavily. Natsu grinned, holding up his pants. "Hold on to your clothes better, you Stripper."

"I didn't mean to," he said as he grabbed his pants and pulled them on.

Natsu turned to me. "So, you know our name. What's yours?"

I considered not telling them, but it would be rude to do that. Even if they are too rowdy. "I'm Lucy. Lucy Heartfilia."

He smiled. "That's a nice name." I sighed. "Okay. So, what are you guys here for?"

Wendy came up to me. "Its nice to see you again. We're here to give you these." She held up a box. I took it from her. "What is it?" I asked her.

"They are presents from Grandfather Makarov," Erza explained, coming up to me. "He heard that there was a family coming to live here, so he wanted to give you some presents as a welcome. I hope it isn't too much trouble."

I shook my head. "No, its fine." Before I could say anything else, Natsu and Gray pushed past me and went into the house. "Man, those cookies smell good. Can we have some?"

"Y-You can't just come into my house like you know me!"

Natsu looked at me, confused. "But we do know you."

"No, you don't!" I snapped as they went in the direction of the kitchen. "May we come in, Lucy?" Erza asked.

Sighing, I moved so they could come in. "Yeah, sure. The boys don't need an invitation."

I led the two girls to the kitchen, where Natsu and Gray were talking to mom. Well, it was more like Gray was talking to her. Natsu wasn't paying attention to them, eyes on the food. "Can I have some Miss Heartfilia?" His mouth watered.

She smiled at him. "Of course. You're friends of Lucy, after all."

His smile was so bright, it was blinding. "Thanks!"

Gray muttered something about being a pig as he shoveled them in his mouth, while Wendy giggled and Erza smiled. These guys were pretty noisy, especially Natsu, but mom liked them so they were probably good. I smiled a little. "So mom, when is dad coming home again?" I asked her as Erza patted Natsu on the back, who was choking.

She shrugged. "He doesn't know, really. He said he might come home late."

Natsu, done choking turned to me. "Its been awhile since we last saw you. A week?"

I nodded. "Yeah. It has."

"Hey, now we can hang out all the time! This'll be awesome!" He said, pumping his fist.

I chuckled. "I guess, but not right now. I still have some unpacking to do, so I'm busy. I'll see guys later." I started pushing them towards the door.

"But, Luce," Natsu whined. "Can't we hang out?"

"I'm sorry, but I have some important things to do. And don't call me that."

"But its your nickname."

"Did I tell you I wanted a nickname? No I didn't. Look, you guys have to go." Opening the door, I pushed them out of my house. "Good bye. See you later." I closed the door on them before they could sneak back in. I turned to see mom standing a few feet away.

She chirped, "I like that boy Natsu. He's cute, don't you think?"

"Mom," I groaned. "Stop being so weird." I walked away from the door, leaving behind my new wack-job neighbors.

* * *

Lucy slammed the door on us. Gray huffed. "Good job, flame breath. You made her kick us out."

I glared at him. "Oh, put a sock in it, popsicle breath."

"Make me."

"Gladly." I cracked my knuckles, walking towards him as he went into a fighting stance. Erza pulled me back. "Natsu, lets not cause a scene, okay?"

I started to object, but a warning look stopped me. I sighed and nodded. Normally, I would fight Gray, but then Erza would beat me up, and I didn't wanna go home with any broken limbs. I looked back at the house. "Why do you think she did that?"

"Didn't you hear her, you idiot? She said she was busy."

"But what if she wanted to get rid of us?"

"I'm sure she really was busy," Wendy reasoned.

"Yes, she doesn't seem like the type of girl to think that way," Erza agreed. "Come, we should get going." She started walking away, Wendy and Gray tailing behind her. I followed, looking at the house one more time. Lucy seemed like a nice girl, but I knew not to judge people based on appearances.

"Come on Natsu," Erza called out.

"Okay!" I caught up with them, putting thoughts of Lucy away for the time being.

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 **So, how was it? Do you like it? I hope you do. Please, don't forget to give me some pointers on how I could make this better. I'd love you for it.**

 **Next chapter: Lucy starts school, and...well, I won't spoil anything. But I'll tell you this: It'll most likely be funny. Most likely. Au revoir! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, guys! Sorry it took a while. I was busy with class. Latin doesn't let you rest! Hope you guys like this chapter. Again, tell me what you think.**

 **P.S. From now on, I'll put down who's speaking. So if its still on the same person, their name won't show up. :)**

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Chapter 3

 _Lucy P.O.V._

As I walked into the school, I prayed that nothing crazy would happen, that today would just be a calm, normal day, on the first day of school. Anything to help me bear my misfit neighbors.

The rest of my summer was spent with Natsu and his friends, hanging out at my house or dragging me out to play in the city. By the time the days ended, I was so tired I could barely stand. They were so out of control! Most days they were destroying things all over the place, and when that didn't happen, Natsu and Gray were arguing with each other. Sometimes they could keep it together, but that only happened when the two of them were either away from one another, or when Erza was around to make them behave.

Although, it wasn't that bad. I got to know them better. Wendy wanted to be a doctor when she got older, Erza held the title of three-time-champion of kendo, and Natsu and Gray were amazing at karate. And it was fun being with them. It was never a dull moment with them around.

I'm pulled from my thoughts as I bumped into another student. The person yelped in surprise, dropping everything in her arms.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" I asked her, bending down to help pick up her things. The girl nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

She had blue hair that was held back by an orange headband, and an orange dress on to match. I handed her books to her with a chuckle. "I really am sorry. I'm usually not such a space cadet."

The girl smiled. "Its okay. Everyone is like that once in a while." She put her books into her bag. "I'm Levy McGarden," she introduced herself, putting her hand out for me to shake.

I took it. "I'm Lucy Heartfilia."

"Lucy, what a nice name. What grade are you in?"

"I'm a senior."

"No way, me too!"

"Wow, that's great. Hey, are we in the same classes?"

"I don't know. Lets see." We brought out our schedules. "I have English, Science, and Math with you. I can't wait." We walked into the school. It turned out we had a lot in common. We both loved to read, didn't like spicy foods, and thought of the famous writer, Mavis Vermillion, as our idol. We got to our first class, Math. As we walked into the room, I thanked God. It seemed that my prayer was answered. I would enjoy this day as a normal teenager, and today would be a calm day.

There was a crash outside. "Hey, watch it, bastard!"

"You watch it, tin head!"

So much for calm and normal.

"Not those two again," Levy groaned. She ran out of the room, and I followed her, wondering who it was.

The person I saw before me shouldn't have been a surprise, but I was still learning. "Natsu?"

The pink haired boy turned in my direction. "Oh, hey Luce," he beamed, walking up to me.

I resisted the urge to sigh. "I told you not to call me that."

The guy he was fighting with came up to us. "So, who's this?"

Natsu said, "This is Lucy Heartfilia. Lucy, this is Gajeel Redfox."

Gajeel looked like one of thugs that attacked Romeo, piercings all over his face and long black hair that reached down his back. Levy appeared from behind him. "Hey, school hasn't even started yet, but already you guys are fighting."

"Can't help it Shrimp. Pyro here was annoying me," he told her.

"I wasn't Levy. I was minding my own business when he bumped into me."

"Hey, you bumped into me, you idiot."

She sighed. "Would you please stop fighting?"

"Yeah, its irritating," I agreed.

"Then tell Natsu to control himself."

"You shouldn't be talking, you dummy."

"Hey, I got a better test score in science than you, you know!"

Natsu groaned. "Stop reminding me about that!"

Gajeel chuckled. " Nope."

"Its never a day without the commotion of the Misfits…" Levy sighed.

I looked at her as the two boys continued to bicker. "Misfits?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Its the nickname our group has. Fairy Tail Misfits. Me, Natsu, Gray, Gajeel, Erza, Wendy, Romeo, and a few others. We make quite a bit of trouble, though Wendy and Romeo aren't as terrible as the rest are. Natsu and Gray fight so much, I'm surprised the teachers haven't completely kicked them out of class."

"That bad?" I turned to look at Natsu and Gajeel, who had, for some reason, steered the conversation into tuna and salmon. I couldn't help but smile as I watched Natsu gesture his hands excitedly to the heavily pierced man, who shook his head with a small smile on his face. The boy with the pink hair had seemingly boundless energy, and he was smiling most of the time. It was one of the things I liked most about him, even if he was rash and childish.

I heard giggling, and turned to see Levy grinning at me. "So, Natsu is cute, don't you think?" she asked me. I groaned. "Levy, stop it!"

She laughed, and I scowled at her, horrified to feel a blush on my cheeks. The bell rang, and we walked into the classroom, the boys still talking about fish. Students came into the classroom, taking seats next to their friends. I took a seat in the back, behind Levy. Gajeel sat next to her, and Natsu was in the seat beside mine. A few minutes later, the teacher walked in. He had dark purple hair, dark eyes, and a mustache. The man looked familiar, though I didn't know why.

"Hello, everyone. I hope you enjoyed summer vacation. My name is Macao Conbolt, and I will be your Math teacher." He looked at all us. "Before we begin, I'd like you all to introduce yourselves. Anyone want to go first?"

A second of silence, then Natsu stood up. Watching him, I prepared for him to say something obnoxious and rude. But he was polite. "Hey! I'm Natsu Dragneel. Its nice to meet you all. I hope we can all get along with each other this year," he said, smiling. The girls seemed to be blushing, and the guys glowered at him. He sat back down, and Macao smiled at him. "Thank you, Natsu. Who's next?"

Someone kicked me, and I yelped. The teacher turned to me. "Ah, good. Please stand up." I looked to see who kicked me, and I saw Natsu chuckling. I glared at him. _How dare you!_ "Hurry, please." I stood up, silently vowing to get Natsu back. Clearing my throat, I said, "Hello, my name is Lucy Heartfilia. I hope we can all be friends." I sat down again.

Macao nodded his approval, and I watched as more students introduced themselves. After all names were given out, we talked about what we were going to do in class. Macao was a serious man, but he wasn't strict; he had a good sense of humor and a kind smile, and he was friendly with the students.

When the bell rang, I went to History, with Erza and Gray. We did icebreakers, and got our first homework assignment, which was to make a family tree. My next class was Science, along with Levy, Gajeel, and Natsu again. The teacher, a lady named Porlyusica, went over the lab safety rules, and we did a simple experiment. It was supposed to be harmless, but Natsu somehow made his explode. He apologized, and she gave him a warning. The entire class was laughing at the whole thing.

Then came P.E., and I had Natsu, Gray, Gajeel, Erza, and two more girls named Mirajane and Cana. Mirajane was a sweet girl, like Wendy, with a kind smile. Cana had this thing with alcoholic beverages, meaning…she was a drinker. A heavy one, according to the others. Our teacher, a buff man with a lightning scar on his face named Laxus, made us run laps before starting a game of Volleyball. Natsu and Gajeel played with great force, Gray showing more restraint. As we waited for our team to go, the girls and I talked.

"So you're Lucy!" Mira said, giving me a sweet smile. "The others talked an awful lot about you, especially Natsu."

Cana nodded. "I've rarely seen him get that excited about something. You must be pretty special."

I shook my head. "I'm not that…"

"Nonsense, Lucy," Erza agreed. "If you can fight thugs and manage to control Natsu when he gets out of hand, you are different from normal girls."

I stiffened at what she said. Unbidden, a memory rose from the depths of my brain; feelings of utter sadness and hurt, and betrayal, and words echoing: _You're not like other girls, Lucy. You never were._

"Lucy? Are you okay?" a voice called to me, snapping me out of my thoughts. I looked to Mirajane, who was watching me with worry. I smiled. "I'm fine."

"Don't worry, Lucy. I say that as a compliment," Erza assured me with a pat on the shoulder. "It isn't easy,you know. He has boundless energy, and he's hard to contain. It takes a lot of effort to be able to hold his attention; even I have trouble."

"Yes." Mira smiled again, but it was a sad smile as she watched Natsu high five his teammates. "Its just like Lisanna…"

I was about to ask who Lisanna was, but was interrupted as someone barreled into me from behind. I grunted, nearly falling to the ground, but the person was quick to catch me. It was Natsu. He smiled apologetically. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah," I grumbled. "Please watch where you're going." As he let me go, I saw some of the girls glaring at me. Cana nudged me and whispered, "Damn, those girls have got their eyes on you, and not in a good way."

Sighing, I ran up to the volleyball net as teams switched. First day, and it seemed like I already made enemies.

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

I held back a grin as the class got into seats. My last class was Art, one of the few things I was naturally good at. Our teacher was a man named Reedus Jonah, a man with glasses and curly orange hair. He briefly explained the rules and projects to us before starting us off by having us draw anything we wanted to see where we stood. Gajeel was the only person I knew in this class; as we began, he said, "What you drawing Salamander?"

Smiling, I replied, "I'm drawing a lake."

He snorted. "I woulda thought you'd draw a dragon or somethin'."

"Hey, I'm not that predictable!"

"Yeah, sure."

"What are _you_ drawing, then?"

"…Somebody."

"Yeah, sure." I could tell by the pink dusting his cheeks who he was drawing, and he knew I knew. Turning back to my paper, I added and erased lines, shading some places and putting in more details. Art was one way I released frustration, and it didn't hurt anybody, which made Gramps happy. Karate and Kickboxing was also a great stress reliever, but it gave me split knuckles and bruises in the end. There was something about paints and drawing things and coloring them in to create something beautiful that I couldn't resist. It was…calming.

"That is good."

I turned in surprise to see Mister Reedus looking at my drawing with a pleased expression. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts, I hadn't notice him walk up to me. "Uh…"

He inspected my picture with a smile. "This is really good. You took Art before?"

I nodded. Reedus was a new teacher; the last art teacher had passed away a few months ago. "Its just a hobby."

"Really? Why don't you pursue it?" He looked at me. "I'm sure you could get a scholarship with kind of talent, and easily be accepted into any college."

Beside me, Gajeel snorted. "Yeah, good luck with that train wreck."

I glared at him. "Says the guy who can't even draw his girlfriend!" I smirked as he spluttered that Levy wasn't his girlfriend. Reedus turned back to me. "There are good art colleges that would accept you with your skill, if that's what you're worried about."

Shaking my head, I mumbled, "I'm not so sure…"

He smiled at me. "At least think about it." After a moment I smiled back. "Okay."

* * *

When school ended, we all piled onto Erza's minivan, Lucy in the front passenger seat, Erza in the middle aisle with Gray and Gajeel, and Wendy, Levy, and Romeo in the back. I took the wheel.

"I can't believe you tripped down the stairs and sprained your ankle," Gray huffed as I drove out of the parking lot and onto the road. "How did you do that? No one pushed you, and you didn't trip over anything."

The red haired girl shrugged. "I felt light-headed. I could not help it."

I groaned. "Are you eating properly? Erza, you know how Gramps feels about you and your weird diets."

"Hey." Now there was an edge in her voice. "They are normal diet plans, and they work."

I narrowed my eyes. "Look Erza, while I appreciate your determination, I'm not letting this go." Instead of turning left to take us home at the next stoplight, I kept going straight. "I don't care what you say. You are getting something other than your water and yogurt diet."

Erza smirked. "I won't break that easily. You know me well enough, Natsu."

I smirked back at her. "You are right. I know you very well. Which means I know your weaknesses."

Now I could see nervousness in her eyes. "You wouldn't dare…"

"I would."

"Oh man, this should be fun," Gajeel cackled, placing some money on a notebook in his lap. "Ten dollars says she cracks in the first five minutes."

Gray added a few more bills. "Fifteen says ten minutes."

Levy put one bill down. "I add five for Gray."

Another hand slams down money. "Ten for Gajeel."

"Romeo!" Wendy gasped. Glancing behind me, I saw Romeo grin at her. Over the last few weeks of summer, Romeo had gotten better, though he still felt pain in side when he worked himself too hard or laughed too much.

Lucy tapped my shoulder. "Hey, what's going on?"

I smiled, my eyes still on the road. "You'll find out soon enough." Her brows furrowed, but she said nothing. A few minutes later, we reached a cafe called the Celestial World. It was one of the places we hung out at, a place of freedom and laughter. Walking in, the others trailing behind me, I grinned as I spotted Loke and Aries. "Hey guys! We're here!"

Loke was a ladies' man; his messy orange hair and hazel eyes managed to capture girls' hearts, though I never understood how they liked him. He flirted too much with every girl, even once with Erza, though that didn't end well. "Hey, Natsu! Its nice to see you all."

"H-hi, there," Aries' sweet, soft voice called out timidly. She was a shy girl with light pink hair and brown eyes that filled with tears quickly. Aries wasn't very good at talking with others, so when many people talked to her at once, it was too much for her. But despite that, she was a kind person, and gentle towards others. _The total opposite of Erza,_ I thought as I looked at the girl.

"So, what brings you here?" Loke asked, fist-bumping Gray and Gajeel. Giving him a high-five, I replied, "Oh, we're here to eat Erza's usual."

Understanding came to his face, and with a wicked grin on his face, he said, "Coming right up," and went into the kitchen. We sat our regular table, and Aries brought us water.

"Thanks, Aries." She nodded and scurried away. As we waited for Loke, Lucy whispered, "What is Erza's usual?"

I smiled, whispering back, "Its a surprise."

"Can't you just tell me?"

"It would spoil all the fun."

"Just tell me!"

"Sorry. You'll have to wait."

"Ugh, fine….Why are we still whispering?"

"…I don't know."

We laughed at how we were still whispering to each other when there was no reason. Loke came to booth, putting down plates of pastries, and Aries followed him with milk. Finally, with Aquarius' grudging help, he put down a big strawberry cake.

The rest of us laughed at Erza's wistful expression, while Lucy looked at us with disbelief and annoyance. "So this was the big secret? A cake? Look, I could've made one at home–"

"No, no, no. You don't understand," Gray insisted. "Strawberry cake is her greatest weakness; she can never resist it." Lucy nodded in understanding, but still looked a bit upset. After thanking Aquarius again, earning a glare and a scoff(it was the way she showed she cared), we all dug in. Wendy looked guiltily to Erza, who sat with a stony face.

Just as I was about to say something to her, she stood up and walked away from the table. For a second, everyone was quiet, and then Gray cleared his throat. "Anyone wanna go after her, or–"

Erza plopped back down into her seat, a napkin in her hand. "Since its in front of me, I may as well eat it." Gajeel whooped and Gray scowled as he handed his and Levy's lost money to the pierced man. Erza cut herself a slice, then another putting one of them on Wendy's plate. "Here, have some, Wendy."

The small girl smiled. "Thank you."

"You guys are a very weird bunch," Lucy said.

"Well, yeah," Gajeel admitted, taking a bite of a macaron. "But we're ourselves, Bunny girl. Nothing wrong with that."

"There is if you're too loud…and why are you calling me Bunny girl?"

"Want me to call you something else, Blondie?"

"Don't call me by that either!"

"Gajeel. Lucy." The two teens froze and looked at Erza, who was glaring at them. "No arguing with each other. Let's enjoy the food. Okay?" They both nodded quickly.

For the next hour, we relaxed and talked about the day. The kendo team wanted Erza to be their captain, and Wendy was nominated to be put on the 9th grade student council. Gray joined the swimming team for his last year, and Lucy was going to try out for the cheerleading team.

"What about you two?" I asked Gajeel and Levy. Levy replied, smiling, "I joined the Classical Lit club."

"Nothing much. Football team," Gajeel grunted.

Erza turned to me. "Natsu? Anything happened to you?" I thought about the offer of art scholarships and wanted to say something, but kept it to myself. "Well, so far, nothing. Just a normal day for me."

Gajeel chuckled. "Define normal."

"Yeah," Gray agreed.

"Gray, your clothes."

"Gah!"

And with that, my first day of school came to an end.

* * *

 **So, you like it? I try my best. If you have any ideas as to what I should do for my future chapters, let me know(Thanks, . ).**

 **Adieu!**

 **(For any fans of Gruvia and Jerza, sorry!)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry I took so long to update! School just doesn't let you quit! And I got writer's block, so I didn't know what to do with this chapter. Thankfully, the gears started moving again, so here's a new chapter. Its kind of short, but funny and sweet and a little bit sad.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 4

 _Lucy P.O.V._

I sighed as I walked into the school library. It had been about three weeks since school started, and it was busy. I kept up with my classes, but thanks with help from Levy. Cheerleading was good; I got onto the team, and we were practising every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, which made me tired on Tuesday and Thursday. With classes and practice, along with helping out mom at the flower shop she owned, I had a hard time staying on track.

Hence my presence at the library. We had our Math test tomorrow, and I needed help studying. Levy promised to study with me, and we agreed to meet after my practice. And it was great that we only discussed our first football game.

Looking around, I couldn't see her anywhere. _She's probably held up on something._ I sat a table and took out my notes, and looked them over. Despite paying attention in class, I had no idea what it was about. Groaning, I admitted defeat.

"Lucy?"

I looked up to see Natsu standing in front of me. "What are you doing here?"

I smiled weakly. "Hey Natsu. Just studying."

"Oh." He sat down across me. "For Math?" I nodded and looked back at my notes. I tried hard to understand it, but all I saw were numbers and equations. The lesson was clear in my head, but it wouldn't sink into my brain.

He grabbed my practice sheet the teacher made us and looked it over. "This is good, but you have this wrong. You don't use this formula, you use this one, and _x_ is supposed to be over here." He pointed at the places he was talking about. I looked at it, confused. "What?"

"Here, watch." He grabbed my pencil and a sheet of paper and worked out the problem, then showed it to me. Looking between his answer, my practice sheet and the example, I saw it was correct. "But…in here, it used this formula."

"Well, that formula can only be used for negative numbers. With positive numbers, you have to use the other formula."

"…"

"What?"

"…"

"Lucy, are you okay?"

"…Natsu."

"Yeah?"

I struggled to say it. "You…know…all this stuff."

He nodded. "Yeah, I do. Why?"

Levy said she would help me, but Natsu knows this. He could help me. I grabbed his arm. "Please help me, Natsu! I need to study for the test tomorrow!"

Natsu looked adorably confused. "But you can do the work in Science."

"Because that's Science! This is Math! Please. Help me," I begged, putting my hands together. Natsu was quiet for a while, making me nervous. He hardly kept his mouth shut. Was he going to say no?

After another second, he smiled. "Sure."

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah. I've got nothing to do anyways, so its fine." He sat in the seat next to me. Up close, I smelled spice and firewood and cinnamon on him. It was such a good smell that I unconsciously leaned into him.

"Hey, are you okay, Luce?"

I quickly backed away from him. "I'm fine," I grumbled, feeling my cheeks warm. "Lets just start."

* * *

 _Levy P.O.V._

I ran to the library, cursing my lateness. I was supposed to help Lu with her Math notes, and I took too long with the Lit club meeting! Preparing an apology to give to my blonde friend, I opened the door to the book-filled room.

"How can you not understand this? I just explained it to you!"

"Oh shut up, Mister Smarty Pants! Like you do any better in Science!"

"Are you really gonna go there?"

"Yes!"

Ducking into the empty library, I looked for the source of the noise. Natsu and Lucy were sitting at table, hunched over a stack of papers. He gestured to a sheet in his hand. "Do I have to work this problem out for you again?"

She huffed, "Yes, please."

"Okay. And pay attention this time."

"I am!"

I watched as Natsu wrote something on the paper, show it to Lucy, and then watched as she wrote something on a piece of her own paper. He looked it over, and smiled. "Yes. You did it right."

Lucy pumped her fist in the air. "Yeah! I'm ready for the test!"

My eyes widened. Natsu was helping Lucy for the test tomorrow? Pulling out my phone, I texted Erza to come to the library and took a seat somewhere I could watch them and still be hidden.

In my opinion, Natsu and Lucy were perfect for each other. Natsu was childish and reckless, and tended to get into trouble constantly. Lucy was level-headed, and could control him in a way not a lot people could. Like Lisanna…

No. I shouldn't think about her. It was still too painful. Lucy and Natsu were laughing at something, which got my attention. Natsu was showing Lucy something on his phone, and he got closer to her, Lucy blushed a little. I smiled. Anyone could tell that Lucy had feelings for Natsu, unless it was the boy in question.

"Yes, Levy?" I almost screamed, jumping a foot in the air. I turned to look at Erza, who was watching Natsu and Lucy. "I am all for observing my friends in hiding, but can't it wait for another day? I have things to attend to."

"Sorry, but look." We watched the two teens a little while longer. "Doesn't it kind of remind you of how it was before, when Lisanna was here?"

Erza smiled, but it was a sad smile. "Yes. It does, doesn't it?"

We watched them some more, then Erza walked away. I scrambled to follow her. When we were out of the library, Erza asked, "Has anyone told her about Lisanna yet?"

"No."

"Okay. When Mirajane is ready, she'll say something."

"Sure." I could still remember the somber faces when the news came out; everyone was devastated, Mirajane and Elfman more than anyone else. And Natsu…

I had never seen him that heartbroken.

"But they're kind of cute together, don't you think?" I asked, pushing those sad thoughts away. "Natsu and Lucy?"

"Yes, they are. And I'm glad we met her. She can mend the hole that we have from losing Lisanna."

"Yeah." My mind turned to Natsu and Lucy. Just as anyone could tell Lucy's feelings for Natsu, anyone could see how much Natsu liked Lucy. He always talked about her, especially that first day that they met. Maybe…maybe she can heal his broken heart.

* * *

 **So, did you like it? Sorry if there are any typos. I try to make sure the grammar and sentences are good, so when you read them, there are no mistakes. And sorry that it got a bit sad near the end. I just came up with the idea to end it this way, so I rolled with it! I'll try to update the next chapter as soon as possible, so until then...**

 **Vale! (Thats Latin for goodbye!) ;p**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone! Sorry it took a while. You have to let the creative juices flow at its own pace, though I wish it wouldn't take so long. I have two chapters ready for your fantastical eyes to behold.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 5

 _Lucy P.O.V._

I woke up on Saturday to someone pounding on my front door.

Squinting into my room, I considered just ignoring it and going back to sleep. The only thing I wanted to do was sleep until noon, and dealing with people that couldn't bother to be polite wasn't something I signed up for.

"Hey Luce! Rise and shine!" A voice yelled.

 _You have got to be kidding me._

I crawled out of bed, trudged down the stairs, and opened the door, glaring at the person standing at our doorstep. "What is it, Natsu? You better have a good reason for interrupting my sleeping schedule."

He ignored my death stare and smiled. "Come on and get changed. We're going outside."

I groaned. "Why? It's the weekend; I have a right to relax!"

"Come on, Lucy! You'll have fun," he insisted. "Why would you wanna stay inside when you can enjoy yourself out here? The others are coming too."

I thought about it. I could say I had to do homework, but I'd done it the night before. And eventually I would get bored and come out anyway. I sighed. "Fine. I'll get ready."

"Yeah! That's the spirit!" His grin widened.

I smiled weakly.

Fifteen minutes later, I was in Erza's minivan with the others as she drove to the park.

"I'm glad you could join us, Lucy," Erza said.

I smiled. "Well, Mom told me to make sure I came back in time for dinner."

Wendy piped up. "We're gonna have a great time!" Gray and Levy nodded. Gajeel said nothing, and Natsu grinned, pumping his fist in the air. "Yeah we are! I'm all fired up!"

Chuckling, Romeo said as we entered the parking area of the public park, "You're always fired up, Natsu."

"More like he's unbearable," Gray mumbled.

"You got something to say, Stripper?"

"Not to you, Flame Breath."

"What did you call me?!"

"You heard me!"

"Ice Freak!"

"Dragon Boy!"

"Coward!"

"Spineless Wimp!"

Erza struck them in the heads, and they yelped. "Both of you. Stop it."

"But he started it," Natsu whined.

"And I will gladly end it. Will you stop, or will I have to help you?" She glared at them until they nodded, sweating. "Good. Now, lets start bringing everything out."

"Okay!" We unloaded everything and walked into the park, looking for a place to set up. I viewed the area. The sun was shining, and people were scattered all over the place, some walking dogs, others eating with their family, still others throwing frisbees to someone else. It was a calm scene, and it made me smile.

We found a place underneath some trees, giving us shade so we stayed cool. In a few minutes, we had everything set up and the boys were starting with the football game, Erza joining them. Levy, Wendy and I watched as they ran around, throwing the ball to each other.

Levy stretched. "Its such a nice day out, isn't it?"

"Yeah. I'm glad I came with you guys."

"Of course. Natsu wouldn't stop pestering us to bring you along." I couldn't control myself and blushed. Levy saw this and her eyes widened. "Ah. I see."

I instinctively crossed my arms. "What?"

"You like him."

"Huh?!" I shot up off the ground. "I don't like him!"

Wendy hesitantly said, "Lucy, calm down."

Sitting down, I huffed, "I really don't like him."

"Are you sure? You blushed at that comment."

"Because its weird for someone to do something like that."

Levy smiled. "Oh, come on. I think its cute."

"Its weird."

The petite bookworm was persistent. "You don't get all nervous when Natsu get close to you? Don't you feel your heart beating when he smiles at you? Don't your hands get sweaty if he grabs it? You don't think about him all the time?"

"Don't you ever read anything other than romance books?" I muttered.

Wendy smiled. "Well, even if you don't like him, I'm pretty sure he has feelings for you."

I was incredulous. "What? No way."  
"Yeah. He always talks about you at home."

Thinking about him speak of me made me blush. Did he really talk about me at his house? Why would he do that?

I jumped as someone plopped down next to me. It was Natsu. "Man, I'm starving," he exclaimed, reaching for the food laid out on the picnic blanket.

Wendy giggled. "Natsu, you're always starving."

"Yeah, she's right," Levy agreed. "Is that why you joined us?"

He nodded, taking a bite of a sandwich. "I haven't eaten breakfast yet. Luce, you okay? Your face is red."

"Fine," I grumbled. Damn Levy and her stupid talking. I felt all awkward around him now.

Levy stared at me for a second, then smiled, a glint in her eyes. I gulped. I didn't like that look. "So Natsu," she said, turning to him. "How do you feel about Lucy?"

"Levy," I hissed.

He answered immediately. "I like her."

I looked at him in surprise. What?

Levy seemed happy. "Really?"

"Of course." He wrapped his arm around me. "She's family. Family is important."

For a second, no one said anything. Then Levy sighed. "That isn't what I meant…"

"Natsu!" We all turned to look at Gray, who seemed annoyed. "Hurry and get over here if you're done eating!"

"Stop whining, I'm coming!" He stood up and ran back into the game. The two blue-haired girls turned to me. My face was burning. "Why did you do that?!"

Levy crossed her arms. "Because I could."

"What?!"

"Oh, calm down. He didn't understand the question anyways, so you're fine." Then she smiled. "You _do_ like him, though."

I groaned in defeat. Wendy chuckled nervously. "Do you guys want to eat?"

* * *

After the others were done playing with the football, and we ate, Wendy brought out the cards and board games. For the next few hours we played Operation, Uno, Slapjack, Scrabble and others. It was a lot of fun, and before I knew it my stomach hurt from laughing so much. When I checked my phone again, I was surprised to find that it was 3:47 pm.

"Hey, lets go to the mall," Levy said. I noticed that throughout all the games, she had scooted closer to Gajeel. Now she was close enough to him that they could bump knees. She seemed fine, while his ears and cheeks were a bright pink. Despite what he said or acted, we could all tell that he liked Levy, and she seemed to feel the same way.

Erza nodded. "That sounds like a good idea."

"But I wanted to play some more," Natsu groaned.

"Oh, be quiet, slanty-eyes," Gray grumbled.

Romeo agreed with Natsu. "Can't we just go to the mall tomorrow?"

"It would be nice to go shopping. I need some new shoes," Wendy admitted.

"Well, everyone else wants to go to the mall. Lets go," Gajeel decided.

"Wait! There's still one more person that didn't choose."  
They all turned to me. I gulped. I tried not to fidget as Erza asked, "So Lucy, what do you want to do?"

I thought about it. I was fine with staying out here and playing for the rest of the day. But I had wanted to go to the mall to get some books from the bookstore they had. Honestly, I was fine either way, but they wanted an answer other than "I'm okay with anything". I didn't know what to say, because I didn't want anyone to get angry. What should I do?

Wendy seemed to know what I was thinking, because she whispered, "Don't worry. Just tell us what you want to do."

I smiled at her, grateful for the kindness. I took a deep breath and blurted, "I'd like…to go to the mall."

Levy whooped, while Romeo groaned. Natsu frowned but said nothing. Gajeel muttered to Gray about something as Erza clapped her hands. "Perfect. Let's pack up and go to the mall."

* * *

We had entered the mall, a while later, when suddenly someone called, "Gray, darling!"

We turned to see a girl with dark blue wavy hair, a cossack hat, a dress coat, and knee-high boots running towards us. "Oh, not again," Gray muttered before the girl ran into him, giving him a hug. I looked to see if anyone was going to stop her, but they seemed like they were used to it.

"Gray darling! Juvia is so happy to see you. She was just thinking about you, wondering about what you were doing, and then you showed up. It's a dream come true," she gushed, still embracing him.

"Um, hello," I said to do something other than watch a random girl hug Gray. "I'm Lucy. And you are?"

"Lucy, don't," Gray hissed, but it was too late. The girl, Juvia, looked at me and narrowed her eyes. "Who are you? Are you here to steal Gray from Juvia?"

"What? No. I just want to be your friend."

"You are trying to take Gray from me! You're Juvia's love rival!" Juvia cried out.

I tried to shake my head, but she wouldn't listen to me. She started saying that Gray was hers and I would never have him. Natsu patted my shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Juvia is always like this. She calls every girl her love rival, we're used to it by now."

Finally Gray walked away from the group, taking Juvia with him.

"Is he going to join up with us again?" I asked the others.

Erza shrugged. "Sometimes he does, and sometimes he doesn't. It all depends on how long Juvia stays with him."

"Are they dating?"

Romeo shook his head. "No, they aren't. Though you can tell that Juvia is in love with him."

"Yeah," I agreed. I wondered, would I ever find someone to love as much as Juvia loves Gray? I'd always hoped that one day, there would be a guy I would meet that I wouldn't be able to live without.

"Well, whatever," Gajeel yawned. "Let's get going. I ain't standing here all day, you know."

And with that, we went shopping at the mall without Gray for the rest of the day.

* * *

 **So, did you like it? I kinda feel like I'm too slow on these things. Please let me know how you feel. Don't be shy about it! I love it when people are honest with me.**

 **Thanks and Tootaloo!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey! The next chapter as promised. Its a bit short, and shows Natsu in a sadder light. (Wait. _Sadder_ is a word right?)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 6

 _Lucy P.O.V._

"Geez, I hope it doesn't rain," I muttered, looking at the clouds in the sky. It had been a week since I met Juvia and, as it turned out, she went to same school as us. Ever since that Saturday, she'd stuck close to Gray whenever I hung out with the group, always giving me that death glare. I wanted to be friends with her, but she wouldn't give me the chance.

So I decided I was going to bond with her, and show her I didn't see Gray that way. Gajeel told me that Juvia was great at sewing, so I bought some sewing supplies and some fabric. Since I was going out to shop, Mom sent me with a groceries list and some extra money. The sky had looked clear when I woke up, but now there were dark clouds hanging overhead.

"I didn't even bring an umbrella with me." I sighed, then ran back in to buy one. By the time I came out it was drizzling.

As I walked home, the rain got heavier until it was pouring. People without umbrellas were hurrying towards shelter while I continued walking home. There was a park close to our house, so I went in that direction. I was just approaching the bridge that the park had over a little stream when I was someone standing there. I walked a little closer, finally noticing the bright pink hair. I almost called out to Natsu but I stopped. He seemed sad, his eyes downcast and his shoulders slumped. I didn't know if he was crying because it was hard to tell with the rain. Why was he here by himself? Why was he sad? This wasn't the Natsu I knew.

Just as I considered turning around I heard Natsu calling my name. I looked up as he ran to me. He was smiling, and his eyes seemed bright. "What are you doing here, Luce?"

I shrugged. "Nothing much. Just shopping for food."

He looked into the bag. "Uh, I'm not sure you can eat a sewing kit."

I laughed. He was so ridiculous. "No, that's for me," I said. "I'm hoping to win over Juvia, and Gajeel suggested sewing."

"Oh yeah, she likes to sew. Be careful; she might stab you, since your her love rival."

"I don't like Gray," I groaned.

While he laughed, I eyed his soaked clothes. "Come on. We need to get you some dry clothes or you'll catch a cold."

Natsu waved off my concern. "I'll be fine. I'll just run home."

"Nope. Come on. You're coming with me." And with that, I took his hand and dragged him with me to house.

"Luce—"

I shook my head. "No complaining. My dad won't mind if you borrow some of his old clothes."

He probably realized that arguing wasn't going to help, so he said nothing. As we continued to walk, I noticed that despite being in the rain for who-knows-how-long, his hands were warm. I felt myself blushing and focused on getting home quickly.

When we got to my house Natsu tried once more to say he was fine, but I pulled him in after me, and after fretting for a bit over him, Mom went upstairs to get him some clothes and a towel. I put away the food, then left Natsu to place the sewing supplies in my room. I thought about the way Natsu looked all alone in the rain. Did he get into trouble with Grandfather Makarov? No, that couldn't be it, he wouldn't look so solemn. Was it a fight with Gray? Well, whenever they fought, he was always annoyed, but never sad.

I walked downstairs, still thinking about it, and into the living room, where Natsu was shirtless.

"Natsu!" I cried out, covering my eyes. "What are doing?!"

"Uh, changing?" he replied in confusion.

"No duh! But why are you doing it in the open? Change in the bathroom!"

"But its quicker this way."

"I don't care!"

Mom walked in and, oblivious to the fact that he was half naked, gave Natsu a sweater. "I know this is a bit worn out, but hopefully it fits."

"Thanks, Miss Heartfilia!"

"No problem." Mom finally noticed me standing there. "Are you okay, sweetheart? You look flushed."

I grumbled, "I'm fine."

"Well then, Natsu, won't you please join us for dinner?" she asked, turning back to the pink-haired boy.

"Um, well, I have to hurry back home. Besides, I'm full." Half-nakedness forgotten, I looked at him incredulously. Natsu, turn down food? Especially my mother's? Something was wrong. He wouldn't even look at us in the eyes, staring at the rug as if he found fascinating in it.

Mom didn't seem to notice, and was relentless. "Please. I'd love to have you eat with us."

"Really, I'm fine, Miss—" His stomach growled in protest, and for a second no one said anything. Natsu chuckled nervously. Mom looked surprised for a moment, then smiled. "I'll bring out an extra plate for you."

"Thank you," he called out weakly as she went into the kitchen. We stood there in silence. I stared at Natsu. This wasn't him, not at all. I wanted to ask him what was wrong, but I didn't know what his answer would be, and I wasn't sure I would like it. Finally he sighed. "Lucy, are you gonna watch me take off my pants?"

"Oh! Sorry," I exclaimed, running into the kitchen to help Mom with dinner, blushing.

A few minutes later, Dad came home and talked with Natsu after putting his things away about sports and school. A while later, we all sat down to eat and talked about our day and how classes were going and other things. Natsu smiled, but I noticed that it didn't quite reach his eyes.

When we were done with dinner, Mom gave Natsu a bag to put his wet clothes in, and an umbrella, and after grabbing my own, we walked to his house.

"I'll bring the clothes back," he said as he opened his door.

I shook my head. "Its fine. Dad doesn't use those clothes anymore anyways, so you can keep them."

He smiled. "Okay. Thanks for the clothes and the food. I enjoyed it."

"No problem. See you later."

"See you." He started to close the door.

"Wait!" I called out. Natsu stopped and turned to me. "Yeah?"

"I, uh…"

He stared at me, waiting to hear what I had to say. But I didn't know how to ask it, and I didn't even really know if I would get the answer I wanted, so I just said, "Never mind. Its nothing."

He smiled again. "Okay. Bye."

"Bye." He closed the door, leaving me standing in the rain with unspoken questions.

* * *

 **Okay! Let me know what you think.**

 **Thanks for reading. Tootaloo!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! A new chapter, ready for your eyes. I have to say, I'm suddenly having some great ideas as to what I'll have in my chapters. This will be fun!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 7

 _Lucy P.O.V._

The next Monday, I was sitting with Levy in the gardens that the school had when Natsu came running up to us, fear in his eyes.

"Hey, Natsu. Are you okay?" I asked as he ran behind us, kneeling so he was out of view. It was warm out here, despite the fact that it had rained on Saturday, and I was glad that the weather hadn't gotten muggy, so we sat there, working on our book report for English.

He stared at the people walking into the school, not listening to me. "Did you guys see Erza?" he whispered.

Levy shook her head. "No, we didn't. Why? What did you do to her this time?"

"Nothing! I swear I didn't do anything."

"Are you sure? Maybe you did something, and you forgot about it."

"I'm telling the truth. This morning when I went to grab breakfast, she started saying that I was in trouble. She would've gotten me if I hadn't run away."

I noticed that Natsu didn't have his bag on him. "And your schoolwork?"

He waved that off. "Romeo said he would bring it for me when I texted him."

"What do you think Erza's angry about?"

"I don't know, only that she was angry enough to some after me with her sword."

"What?" I yelped as Erza entered the school. She looked around for a bit before laying eyes on us. She started walking towards us, and Natsu whispered, "If she sees me I'm dead! You guys have to help."

I shook my head. "I'm not going against someone who has a sword."

"Please." There was desperation in his eyes. "I need you."

I was about to say more, but Levy pushed me to my feet. "Go on. I'm not going to die along with him."

"Why me?"

"Because she likes you. Now go!" Finally, with a sigh, I walked up to meet Erza. I forced a smile to my lips. "Hey, Erza! How are you?"

She said, "I'm good. Lucy, have you or Levy seen Natsu?"

"Natsu?" I turned back to Levy. She waved at us, and I couldn't see Natsu anywhere near her. How did he manage to hide himself so quickly? I turned to face Erza again, and shook my head.

"Are you sure you didn't see him? If I find out you're lying to me…" There was a dark glint to her eyes, and I shivered.

"I'm sure. I'll help you look, and while we're at it, I'll get us some strawberry cake."

"Strawberry cake?" Her eyes lit up. It was the truth. The cafeteria was serving some today, and it was the perfect thing to distract her.

I nodded, smiling. "Yeah. Come on. The strawberries are really sweet, and perfect on a day like this."

"Yes. We shall succeed on this mission to get the cake! Let's go, Lucy." She turned and marched off to the cafeteria, with me following behind her. I turned back to see Natsu smiling and mouthing "Thanks" to me. I shook my head, muttering, "The things I do," and ran after Erza when she called.

I sighed as I slid into my seat for Science. Avoiding Erza was like avoiding a plague, and it wouldn't be long before that terrifying plague caught me and killed me.

* * *

 _Natsu P.O.V._

But I wanted to live, so I didn't have much of a choice. I watched as students came, as Levy and Gajeel came in and sat down, talking about the Fall Dance coming up. I held in a gag as Levy flirted with Gajeel, and he blushed. Honestly, I wanted to tell them to just go out with each other. They both liked each other, and everyone could see it. Levy always hoped, even now, that Gajeel would ask her out. Too bad he was a chicken and had too much pride to even say anything.

Lucy finally walked in, and plopped down into her seat, looking drained. I raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay? You look like you want to go to sleep."

"Yeah, and sleep for a hundred years." She eyed me. "This is all your fault. I have to drag Erza around to make sure she doesn't see you."

"Thanks for the help, by the way."

"It won't matter much longer. We all have P.E. together. She'll kill you then."

I nodded miserably, thinking about it. How would she do it? Would she do it someplace secluded? Challenge me to a fight? Or would she just pull out some concealed weapon and attack me? It could be anything.

The class went by in a blur, and soon it was time to change and head out into the field for soccer. So far, I hadn't seen Erza yet, but I knew I would soon. Cana sidled up to my side.

"So, I heard Erza's got it in for you?" she guessed while taking a sip of some questionable liquid in her bottle.

"You know?"

She nodded her head. "We all know. She searched everywhere for you this morning and during passing time before each class. Do you know what this is about?"

I shook my head. I had racked my head, but there was nothing.

"She'll catch you, you know. Shouldn't have ran from her. That just makes things worse."

Before I could say anything, I heard someone call out, "Natsu!" And I turned to see Erza coming at me with a wooden sword. I yelped as she swung, and barely dodged in time. When she hit the bleachers we were next to, it made a metallic clang, and there was dent, along with a little crack, as evidence of how strong the redhead was.

"Look Erza," I began, hoping I could calm her down. "Whatever it is you think I did, I didn't do it. I had nothing to—"

"Quiet." Erza's eyes were ablaze, and her voice was dark. "I will rip you to shreds for what you have done, you insolent little fool."

Everyone gathered around us. It looked like some were betting, slipping money to one another as they bet my fate. It made me disgusted, and I straightened a bit, forcing myself to look Erza in the eyes.

"Look, I swear I didn't do anything to you. What exactly is it you think I did?"

Erza brought out her phone and shoved it into my face. "This." I looked at the picture. It was of a site called , a place where people ranted about us under anonymous names. I never really paid much attention to it, and I thought she didn't either. But it wasn't the fact that she possibly looked at the site that surprised me. It was of the comment at the top of the page. It was under my name, and it said: _Erza Scarlet is a strawberry-eating gorilla who thinks she owns the place, and acts like a child when she doesn't get what she wants._

I looked at her, surprised that she would think I would say such a thing. Sure, she can be annoying and bossy, but she's like a sister to me. I would never insult her, or try to hurt her.

"Come on," I muttered, grabbing her arm and dragging her away from the onlookers as Laxus arrived. Our friends watched them go, and I knew they were curious as to what she showed me. We walked until we came to some steps, and then I let her go.

"Why did you bring me here? You didn't want people to know you said such things?" she asked, glaring at me.

I sighed, sitting on the steps. "I didn't do that."

"Its under your name. You must have done it."

I shook my head. "I swear on my parents' graves, I said none of that. Someone must've sent that under my name. Think about it, Erza; would I really do something like that?"

She was silent, and I knew she realized that it couldn't be me. She finally sighed. "I'm sorry, Natsu. You're right. It's just that I felt hurt that you would say something so mean about me."

I assured her that it was okay, but my mind was on the website, and the comment I supposedly put on there. Who could've done that? What motive did they have?

"Well, I will find out who did this, no matter what," Erza promised as I stood up. I tried to smile, but it felt too weak. Someone out there didn't like me, and wanted to pull stupid pranks to make me suffer.

"Hey, Erza?" She stopped and turned to me.

"Can we not mention this to the others? This is just between us."

She didn't ask why, just nodded, and we went back to class. We told everyone it was just a misunderstanding, and Laxus made us run five laps around the field for ditching class, but we were fine with it. The only thing I focused on was the site and person who used my name. What was going on? What else was going to happen? And how would it affect us?

* * *

 _Lucy P.O.V._

After school let out, Erza invited me over to eat at their place. Despite knowing them for a while now, I'd never seen the inside of their house though the outside I'd glimpsed. It was huge, a mansion surrounded by gorgeous plants, and very beautiful. I told Dad where I was going to be, and he was fine with it.

Wendy was chattering happily about her day as we walked into the house. I gawked at the size of it. The house was big on the outside, but the inside was huge. In the middle of the lobby was a table with a vase full of flowers on it. At the other end of the lobby was an opening leading into what looked the dining room. To my right were a flight of stairs that lead up to the second floor. To our left, another opening lead to the living room. The wood was a deep mahogany, and the beige walls matched the polished wood very nicely. I liked my place, but this was amazing.

"Your house is beautiful," I breathed, taking it all in.

Romeo chuckled. "You should've seen our old home. It was way bigger than this."

I followed Erza into the living room, where Grandfather Makarov sat reading the newspaper. We talked for a bit, and then Wendy pulled me up the stairs to her room. It was nice and cozy, the walls painted so it looked like a fields, the clouds so realistic I thought I could reach out and touch them.

I turned to her. "Who did this?" I asked.

"The walls? That was Natsu. I didn't like the blank walls, so he came in here and spent hours making this for me. He's great at art, isn't he?"

"Yeah," murmured, running my hands over the mural. I knew Natsu could draw, but not like this, not so…life-like.

We went back down to eat some strawberry cake Erza had bought the other day, and pizza and ice cream and other party food. We played games, and swam in the pool they had; I borrowed one of Erza's bathing suits. It was around five when we came out and dried off to watch some movies and eat dinner. When we were changed and sitting in front of the tv, I realized that Natsu wasn't there.

"He's probably in his room, or the attic," Gray grunted when I asked, his mouth full of chicken. I climbed upstairs and walked to a room that was decorated with flames, clearly marked as Natsu's. I peered inside. It was a bit messy, and there were drawings posted all over the walls, but no Natsu. I closed the door and made my way over to the ladder that led to the attic. Romeo gave me a small tour of the place while the others were getting the food out, and showed me the sturdy ladder at the end of the hall.

Grabbing the wooden railing, I marched up the steps and opened the latch. I peeked inside. It was filled to the brim with drawings and paintings everywhere, easels and canvases laid to the side, unused. There was a table for sketching and drawing, and stools for when you were going to paint. There were buckets and tubes of paint in containers, and pallets, some clean and some dirty, in another container. It was an artist's workshop. And, sitting there working on a portrait, was Natsu, wearing a paint-stained apron and covered in color. He seemed so focused on what he was working on that I wanted to leave him alone, but he had to eat sometime, and I'd feel bad if I let him go hungry. So I clambered into the room.

He looked up and smiled, wiping sweat off his forehead, leaving a smear of green in its place. "Hey. How long have you been there?"

"Not long. Come on down. Everyone's eating and watching a movie," I said as he stood and stretched.

Yeah, I'll get a plate, but I have to finish this." He replied while pointing at what he was working on. I looked at it. It was a woman, her hair pink like Natsu's and a slender figure, with kind eyes and a soft smile that warmed me, and I found myself smiling back.

"Who is this?" I asked, even though for some reason a part of me protested.

His smile was sad. "That was my mother. She died when I was a baby; I never knew her."

"Oh." I wanted to say something to him, to offer some condolences, but I felt like it wouldn't really do anything. He probably heard those consoling words before, and was tired of them.

Instead, I asked, "So, you like to paint?"

"And draw. It calms me down, and helps me think about stuff, and also makes me happy. Though it keeps me from doing other things; One of the reasons why I don't study." He chuckled. We fell into a peaceful silence looking at the portrait of his mom. Finally I turned and walked to the trapdoor.

"Come on, before the guys eat all the chicken." Before I could bend to open the door, Natsu grabbed my wrist.

He said, "Lucy. Thank you."

"For what?"

"For helping me out all the time." I wanted to snort and make a joke, but the look in his eyes stopped me. They were filled with the same seriousness I'd seen at the bridge. The light that seeped through the shutters of the attic window gave his hair a soft glow, defining his features and making him more handsome than he already was. My breath hitched, my heart beating faster.

I chuckled awkwardly, hoping my voice didn't breathy. "Come on. You're being too serious; its making me nervous. Where's the energetic Natsu I know?"

He bent toward me, and for a second I thought he would kiss me. But he stopped, his face hovering just inches from mine, and he whispered, "I have more sides than you know of, Lucy Heartfilia."

Then he leaned away and in a blink he was smiling, the childish Natsu back. "Come on, I'm starving!" He clambered down the ladder, yelling at Gray to save some food for him.

I still stood there, my cheeks aflame, my heart still hammering from the intimacy of the whole thing. He had seemed so handsome, so real, like all the times I'd seen him before were just illusions. I couldn't stop thinking about it all: the warmth he had when he was close to me, the glow of those onyx eyes, smelling that familiar spice and cinnamon and campfire scent he always seemed to have, how him saying my entire name made me shudder in joy. I rubbed my arms. What was going on with me?

I thought about what Levy would say. _You like him, Lu. Don't deny it._ I groaned and climbed down the ladder. I felt like everything was going to get complicated from this point on.

* * *

 **AWWWWW! Don't you think that was such a romantic scene? Nalu is life! My life, at least. I don't know about anyone else, but I totally ship them together. Tell me how you feel, please. I'd appreciate it.**

 **Thanks for reading, and Tootaloo!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Not much to say, so...**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 8

 _Lucy P.O.V._

I was in the library on Friday with Levy, reading Mavis's book _Ink and Ashes_. It was about a girl who found out her father was involved with mafia when he was younger, and was delving deeper into his past. It was really good, and though I'd gotten it half an hour ago, I had made a dent in it.

I was just at the part where the heroine finds something in her bag, and I could only guess what it was, when someone laid their hand on my shoulder and I jumped, shrieking in surprise. The librarian glared at me, and I smiled nervously.

"Geez, Luce, are you okay?" I stilled and looked up at Natsu, who was smiling at me. I quickly looked back at my book, blushing and heart pounding uncontrollably. "I'm fine," I managed, hoping my voice didn't wobble.

Ever since Monday and what happened in the attic, I'd felt jittery around Natsu when he was near, and I was too nervous to say anything to him. One time our hands touched and I flinched, pulling my hand back as if I were burned. Natsu himself didn't seem to notice, but everyone else had, and they repeatedly asked me if I was fine. I smiled a fake smile and reassured them that I wasn't sick, just anxious about school, especially with the Fall Dance.

He plopped into the seat next to me. I wanted to scoot away to give us some distance, but knew that Levy would take note of it, so I stayed still.

Levy dog-eared the page she was on and put the book down. "So, Natsu, are you here for something?"

"Why would you think that?"

"Because you're bouncing on the chair, and you look like you're waiting for something."

He smiled and laid a gym bag I hadn't noticed him holding on the table. "Well, its because of this."

We peered inside. There was a big container full of water balloons inside. I sighed. "What are you planning on doing now?"

"I'm going to catch Gray by surprise." Now there was a mischevious glint to his eyes. "Its that time of the year."

Now Levy was smiling. "Oh, yeah. So, who do you think is gonna win?"

"I got some good pranks in mind. They'll never know what hit them."

I looked back and forth between them. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Only the best part of this year," Natsu exclaimed. "We spend about a month pulling pranks on each other. Then at the end, whoever has the most points from the whole thing wins."

"Wait, what?" I was confused.

Levy reached over and lightly smacked Natsu on the arm. "Natsu, you aren't explaining it well enough." She turned to me. "We call this month the Prank Wars. It may sound a bit barbaric, but its very well organized. Each person who participates has to earn the most points in this month, in order to win."

"To earn points, who have to make sure that your prank is successful; if the victim doesn't fall for it, then you don't earn the points. Pranks pulled on teachers means double points. The more extreme pranks also mean two or three points, it depeneds on what kind of prank it is."

"You aren't allowed to pull pranks that would hurt anyone; any harmful prank pulled is an automatic disqualification. If one is seen being set up, the person is suspended for two days. If you try it again, you're suspended for four days. The third time is also a disqualification."

"At the end of the month, we tally the points, and the winner is the person who earns the most points."

I nodded, impressed by the elaborateness of it all. "How did you guys decide this whole thing?"

Levy's eyes slid to Natsu. "Well, one year Natsu and Gray had a prank battle during the summer, and kept score like the idiots they were to prove who was better. It affected everyone. Erza nearly killed them with her mallet. In the end, we got into it, and ever since it's been a tradition."

Natsu grinned. "I won the thing."

"So, you play too, Levy?"

She shook her head. "I'm the official scorekeeper, and rulekeeper as well."

"You run the whole operation."

"Yeah. Someone has to keep these misfits in place. Though I don't have to remind them of the rules; we've been at this for six years now."

"Wow. Who wins the Prank Wars?"

"Sometimes it's Erza. Sometimes it's Natsu. Gray and Gajeel get close to winning. It's really fun to watch them duke it out with each other."

"Luce, do you wanna play with us?" Natsu asked.

"Um, no thanks. I'm not sure I want to be in a battle with you guys. I'm smart enough to know that."

"Okay, but you'll miss out on all the fun." Natsu cracked his knuckles, radiating excitement. "This'll be fun."

He dragged us with him to launch the attack on Gray. We watched as he prepared with a small group of people he hooked into helping him. Levy said it was allowed. They all waited at the entrance to the gym, balloons in their hands, containers filled with water balloons next to them. Romeo was supposed to give a text when Gray was near the doors, and when he came out, he would be assaulted.

We waited for a bit, and I checked the time, hoping that we wouldn't wait until the bell rang. Just then there was buzzing from Natsu's pocket. He looked at his phone, then called out as quietly as he could, "Get ready, everyone."

A few seconds passed in silence. Then, the gym doors opened, and Gray walked out. As soon as he was in sight, Natsu yelled, "Attack!" All at once, everyone threw their water balloons at Gray. He didn't react fast enough, and in seconds he was soaked. Still, people kept flying the ammunition until, a minute later, there was no mor balloons left. By then, a crowd had formed. Natsu's helpers gave each other high fives and cheered. Natsu had a wicked grin on his face. "So, Gray, how's the weather?"

The raven-haired boy wiped his eyes and looked at the boy in front of him. He wagged his finger at Natsu, saying, "Oh, you are so on, Dragneel."

Levy smiled. "Natsu earns a point. Since he has pulled the first prank, I can officially announce: Let the the Prank Wars begin!"

As everyone around us cheered, I asked, "So the whole school knows?"

"Yeah. We decided that we needed more of an audience, and Lisanna suggested during school time. The adults are cool with it, but they tell us not to make a total mess."

I thought about the girl, Lisanna. She was mentioned before. "Say, I've never met Lisanna. Where is she? She's supposed to be Mira's sister, right?"

A dark look passed over Levy. "Yeah, she was." I blinked, and the look was gone. I wondered if I had imagined it. "Come on," Levy urged as we walked back inside. "I'm starving, and you can't be a genius on an empty stomach."

* * *

It was nothing but pranks for the next few days. Pranks pulled on random students, each other, even on a teacher that involved a bullhorn and the teacher's chair. Natsu and Erza were tied at the lead, Gray and Gajeel not far behind. Romeo had only done one successful prank, the other ones triggered by unsuspecting students instead of his intended target. When I asked why they didn't count, Levy said it was fair.

"I know you think that it shouldn't matter whether or not it was intended for that person, but it matters to the others," Levy explained. "When we first came to that wall, the argument ended with Gajeel and Gray fighting each other. So I put that rule in place."

Juvia was around whenever Gray laid out a trap and she cheered, occasionally pausing to glare at me. I tried to make peace with her, but she was stubborn.

Which was why I had Levy join me when I went over to Juvia's house on Sunday. It was a quaint little house that looked like a cottage in fairy tales, except it wasn't covered in vines. We knocked on the door, heard a muffled "Coming!" and waited for a minute. The door opened, and there stood a petite woman, with blue hair and bright blue eyes.

"Why, hello! I'm Aqua. And what can I do for you today?" she asked jovially.

I smiled. "We're here to see Juvia."

"My daughter? Oh, you must be her friends. Come in, come in! I'll get you some water." She ushered us in. I looked around as we walked deeper into her home. There was a small hallway that led into what seemed was the living room. To our left, a stairway leading to the second floor. On our right was a little kitchen. We were lead into the living room, where Aqua brought us glasses of water and chattered happily about her daughter. Everything was soft and worn, exuding warmth and love.

"Mama, where is my sewing kit?" I watched as Juvia rounded the corner, and her eyes landed on us. For a few seconds it was silent, then Aqua stood up. "I think it's in my room."

Juvia was focused on me. "What are you doing here?" She tried to sound pleasant, but I could tell that it was forced. She was probably trying to be polite in front of her mother.

Her mother seemed to be oblivious to her daughter's discomfort. "They wanted to hang out with you. I know you girls would like to spend time together, so I'll let you go have fun." She rushed back to the kitchen.

We stayed there for a bit longer, waiting in silence, tension slowly filling the air. Then Juvia cleared her throat. "So, what do you want to do?"

I chuckled nervously and held up my bag, my own sewing kit inside. "Can we go to your room?"

We followed Juvia into her room. It was a soft blue, with a comfy-looking bed and a dresser and a closet filled with dresses. A window gave us a beautiful view of outside, and was perfect for gazing at the stars. But what caught my attention was the Gray dolls. They were everywhere, big ones and small ones, some on her bed and some piled up on the ground, some smiling and some emotionless. Even though it was a bit weird, I had to admit that were really nice.

"Juvia, you're so good at sewing." Juvia shrugged, uncomfortable.

"Juvia likes sewing. It calms her down and makes her happy." I remembered how Natsu said the same thing about art. I smiled.

"I know how to sew too. I may not be as good as you, but my mom taught me."

She perked up. "Really?"

"Yeah. Is it alright if we sew with you?"

She nodded, turning to walk out. "Okay. Just let Juvia get her kit first."

We sewed for a while, talking about things we made. What I said was true; Mom taught me how. Even though I wasn't very gifted for it, I practiced, so I was decent in sewing. Levy didn't know how to sew, so me and Juvia had to go through the steps with her. She pricked herself often, and her seams were crude, but she was keeping up and slowly got better. Juvia's mom came up with tea as we talked about school and our classes.

Finally, an hour into our sewing, I take a deep breath and voice what I came here to say. "Juvia, I want to talk about Gray."

Next to me, she stiffened. "Juvia doesn't want to talk it."

"But I—"

"You are Juvia's love rival." Her cheeks turned red. "That's all there is to it."

I sighed, knowing it was going to be difficult, but still getting frustrated all the same. "Juvia, you have to understand. I really don't like him that way."

Now she looked into my eyes, possibly searching for an answer. "How can Juvia be so sure you aren't lying to her?"

"Because I know you love him, and I would never steal the man my friend loves from them."

Her hard expression softened a bit. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I would never try to hurt you."

This time she smiled gently. She was much prettier when she smiled. "Juvia believes you, Lucy."

"Besides," Levy put in. "She likes Natsu."

"Levy!" I hissed, blushing.

Juvia's smile grew. "Natsu? He is a bit of a child, but has a good heart. Juvia supports you."

I groaned, "Not you too." They burst into laughter.

"Say," I said when they were done giggling. "Why do you refer to yourself in the third person around others, and then in first here?"

Juvia blushed. "Juvia doesn't mean to do it; she just does it, like a way of protecting herself. She only talks in first person at home."

"Would it be alright if I asked you to try and talk in first person? You don't have to push yourself, but I would like to hear you talk more like that."

"Juvia—…I will try." She smiled weakly.

Smiling, I picked up the needle. I finally became friends with Juvia. "Okay. Now, can you teach me how to make a doll?"

* * *

 **Okay! Hope you liked it. Please tell me how you feel. Next chapter will be a glimpse into Lucy's past and...Well, you'll just have to wait!**

 **Thanks for reading! See ya!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello, my friends! Yes, it is I, SummerFaerie917, returned to you after a long summer of not seeing any new content on my fanfic that you probably don't like!**

 **I'm joking, I'm joking (maybe) But anyways, sorry about the long wait. I had no inspiration, so I couldn't write anything, but now I do have something to write. Yay!**

 **Instead of just one, I'm putting TWO chapters, because I feel so bad about leaving you guys hanging. And if you need a refresher on what the story is about, then you can read it from the beginning. If not, then enjoy the new chapters!**

* * *

Chapter 9

 _Lucy POV_

The next morning, I walked into the school feeling light as a feather. Juvia and I were friends now! I was so happy, I hummed as I got ready for school. When I saw Levy, I smiled and waved, running up to her. "Good morning, Levy!"

"Hey, Lucy! You're pretty chipper this morning, aren't you?"

"Yes. I'm so happy that Juvia and I can be friends now. I feel so relieved! I thought that we might not become friends." We climbed the stairway and strolled to our class.

"So, Lucy," Levy said. I turned to her. "Is everything alright with you and Natsu?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. Why do you ask?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. It just seems that lately, you've been nervous around Natsu, and I keep seeing you stare at him quite a bit." I blushed a bit at that. Was I really staring? I didn't mean to; my eyes just strayed towards his presence.

"No. Everything is fine."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. You're just imagining things." We got to our class, and I opened the door.

What awaited me was a room of silver.

The entire room was covered from top to bottom in tin foil. Every inch was covered; you couldn't even see past the foil to the floor or ceiling. Wherever I stepped, the tin foil crinkled. It was ridiculous, and for a few seconds I was silent. Meanwhile, Levy was asking around.

"It was like this when we got here," one of the students already in the classroom explained. "The first person to come in said the same thing."

"Really?"

"Yeah. The teacher isn't here yet, but one of the janitors unlocked it for the student."

"Wow," I marveled. "I have to say, this is amazing. Whoever did this is kind of a genius."

Levy giggled. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were envious."

Gajeel strolled into the room and looked around, then whistled. "Damn. It feels like a scene from a sci-fi movie." Natsu walked in behind him. He roared with laughter when he looked around.

"Oh man. This is so hilarious! Macao is gonna be so angry!"

"None of you did this?" I asked, gesturing to the room. Gajeel shook his head, and Natsu smiled. "No. But I wish I was. I bet it was Gray or Romeo."

"You don't think it was Erza?"

"Nah. The three of us were at the dojo with the old man, practicing until late. Gray and Romeo were back home. They would've had time to do all this while we were gone," Gajeel answered.

Levy chuckled. "One thing's for sure. Macao is not going to be too happy when he sees the room."

She was right. A few minutes later, when Macao arrived at school, he got so upset about the room being covered in tin foil that he stormed to the principal's office, saying that we weren't doing anything for class. So for the entire class period, everyone relaxed and chatted and played games. Levy and I discussed books that we read, though I would find myself looking to Natsu, who was talking to the other boys, just like she said.

By the time class was over, the whole school had found out about the room covered in tin foil, and came to look. It turned out to be Gray's prank after all, and since it was successfully pulled, he got the point.

For history, we were building a model of a historical event that took place in Fiore in groups. Erza, Gray and I decided to make the founding of our city Magnolia. The other two were talking about how to build it, but I was spacing out. What was wrong with me? Lately, I couldn't seem to keep still around Natsu, always fidgeting and having that feeling that I needed to move. And whenever he was near me my heart would beat uncontrollably. My hands felt sweaty, and I wanted to hold his hand. What was this? Did I have some sort of disease?

Maybe it was love, but whenever I thought about that, I felt stupid for even thinking that. I mean, he was rash and childish, and liked to pick fights. He ate too much and was too loud, and always did something to annoy someone. Did I really fall in love with him?

The rest of the day went by quickly, taking notes and watching videos. When lunch came, I felt exhausted. School really took a lot out of people, and made them too tired to focus on anything academic. All I wanted to do was go home and sleep.

I got my plate and went to our usual table, just outside in the courtyard. Students were scattered around everywhere, eating and talking about their day.

There wasn't anyone else at our table, so I sat down and started eating. I pulled out a book I just borrowed, _The Forest of Hands and Teeth_ , and started reading. It was about a girl decades into the future living in a world filled with zombies. I had read the first sentence and was instantly hooked. For a while it was calm and peaceful as I ate; the noise of the students slowly faded into a hum, and I was so absorbed in the book that I didn't notice someone coming up towards me.

Something slammed onto the table, and I jump, startled by the sudden noise. I looked up to Gray, who had a scowl on his face. "Aw man," he grumbled as he sat down, grabbing the sandwich from his plate. "I almost got suspended because of Macao's room."

"Really? He was that angry?"

"Yeah. But I have to stay behind and clean up his class. This sucks."

I chuckled. "I can understand why he would be upset. Why did you cover his room with tin foil, though?"

"Well, I wanted to do it before the idea was taken."

"Why Macao's room?"

"Because I didn't think he'd take it too seriously."

I shook my head. "You guys are ridiculous." I looked around. "Hey, are the others coming?"

"No," He answered around a mouthful of food. "They have some things they need to do."

"Oh." It was weird not eating with them at lunch; they were always here everyday. I sighed. Well, this will probably happen again. I shouldn't be sad about it.

Gray looked at me. "Hey Lucy. I have a question."

"Yeah, sure." I dog-eared my page, then turned to him. "What is it?"

"Are you cool with Natsu?"

I huffed. "Why is everyone asking me that? I'm completely fine with him."

"Really? Because ever since that Monday when you hung out with us at our house, you've been acting strangely."

I glared at him. He threw his hands up. "Okay, geez. But really, you're all jumpy around him, and you always look nervous when someone even mentions his name."

I grumbled, "Look, it's nothing. I just have a lot on my mind."

"Okay, then." I could tell he didn't believe me, but I said nothing. I took a bite of my food. School really left me hungry.

* * *

I strolled through the school hallways after school. I had planned on going home, but Juvia had stayed to practice for the swim meet on Saturday, and wanted me to walk home with her, so here I was, waiting for her to be done, bored out of my mind. I had watched her prepare for the first half hour, but she said I didn't need to stick around to wait, and so I just left.

I had been hoping that the library would be empty, but it was filled with students studying and doing tutoring, and I didn't want to read with all that noise. Even though I had somehow managed to read during lunch, I usually needed to be in a quiet place in order for me to completely focus on the book, and so I was wandering around the school, trying to figure out what I was going to do with myself.

As I walked past the Art class, something caught my eye. There was someone in the room, working on what looked like a drawing. I looked inside to see who it was, and finally recognized the bright pink hair.

"Hey, Natsu. I didn't know you were still here," I said, entering the classroom. He said nothing, just kept on drawing.

I tried again. "So, Natsu, what are you working on?"

Still no response.

Annoyed, I grumbled, "Geez, no need to be rude."

Nothing.

"Natsu! Why are you ignoring me?!" I started walking up to him. As I got closer, I noticed that he had earbuds in. I stopped, realizing why he hadn't said anything. My face started burning, feeling stupid for getting angry at him when he didn't even hear me.

After a second, I sat down, staying behind him. I honestly didn't know why I didn't let him know that I was here, I just wanted to watch him work, and I highly doubt he would be still if he knew I were here.

For a while I just sat there, listening to Natsu draw. Everything was so peaceful, the sound of the pencil softly scratching on paper, Natsu humming to whatever song he was listening to. I smiled as I continued to look at him. It was so rare to see him so focused on something; he seemed to be someone who was easily distracted.

I yawned, a sudden wave of exhaustion hitting me. I stayed up late doing some homework and studying for a quiz in History. I folded my arms on the desk and rested my head on them. _Just a little nap_ , I told myself.

Next thing I knew, someone was shaking me awake.

"Lucy, come on. We have to go," Natsu said.

I sat up and looked around, still half-asleep. Outside, The sun was low in the sky, and the sunset was pinks and purples and oranges. It was so beautiful that for a second I just stared at it.

"Lucy?"

I turned to Natsu, yawning. "What time is it?" I asked, stretching.

He hesitated, then replied, "5:57…"

I shot up. "What?!"

"Yeah…"

"Why didn't you wake me up?!"

"I didn't know you there until just now." Then he narrowed his eyes, confused. "Why didn't you let me know you there, anyway? Didn't you see me sitting here?"

"Um…" I started to fidget, getting nervous. Natsu stared at me, waiting for an answer. I couldn't help but be sucked in by those eyes. I never noticed, but they were a dark green, with flecks of gold in them. How could I have not noticed before?

"Lucy?" I snapped out of my thoughts at Natsu's voice.

I smiled nervously. "Well, I was so tired, I guess I didn't see you there."

He nodded. "Okay. Also, Juvia texted me, saying she was looking for you. She asked me to tell you that she's at the school entrance, waiting for you."

"Oh my gosh! Okay. Um, thanks!" I started running out of the class. I can't believe Juvia was waiting for me. She was such a sweet person.

Natsu called out, "Hey, Lucy!"

I stopped at the door and looked back to him. He smiled at me. "See you tomorrow."

Smiling back, I said, "Bye Natsu." Then I ran out to meet Juvia.

* * *

 **So there we have it! Not sure if you will like this, but I'm trying my best. I'm glad I'm able to post something for you. I miss doing this!**

 **Let me know what you think about it, and also some tips about how I could make this more enjoyable, more funny, etc. because even though I'd feel embarrassed about all the mistakes I made, your comments will help me to being better at this! :)**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

**I guess I like how this chapter turned out, but I'm not too sure...But I hope its good for you.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 10

 _Natsu POV_

I closed the door to the house, sighing. Today was tiring, and all I wanted was a hot bath. I turned to see Erza standing there, arms crossed.

Groaning, I set my bag down. "Okay, what did I do this time?"

"It happened again."

I raised my eyebrow, confused. "What happened again?"

Erza walked up to me and shoved her phone in my face. It was another comment on , again under my name, this time about Gray. _He acts all cool and gentleman-like, but he's just a pervert who enjoys stripping in front of women._

"Gray saw it, and got angry at first. After a bit, though, he calmed down." Erza pulled her phone back.

I shook my head. I completely forgot about this. "Who would do all this?"

Erza shifted on her feet. "Well, when I saw this, I decided to see who this was. So I asked a…friend of mine to help me out, and he managed to trace this back to a person named Sting Eucliffe. Have any idea who he is?"

 _Sting Eucliffe_. Now that was a name I hadn't heard in a while. I sighed, scratching my head. "What is that idiot doing?"

Erza rose her eyebrows. "So you know him."

"Yeah. Just let me take care of this." She stared at me for a bit, then nodded.

"Thanks. Now, what's for dinner? I'm starving!"

Later on, as I was getting ready for bed, I looked at my computer. _Should I wait until tomorrow morning? No, that'll ruin my day._

I opened my laptop and, after a few minutes, got onto the website. Clicking my name on there, it opened up icons, one of them being messaging. I clicked on it. It opened up a chat box. I didn't know if he was gonna be there, but I needed to know.

 ** _Unknown: Sting, why are you saying such bad things?_**

I waited a few minutes, but nothing happened. As I was just about to delete the tab, a ping sounded. I looked at the chat box. Someone had replied.

 ** _NatsuDragneel: I'm Natsu. I don't know any Sting._**

 ** _Unknown: Cut the crap, Sting. This isn't a stupid game._**

 ** _NatsuDragneel: …Well, well. If it isn't Natsu. How are you, buddy?_**

 ** _Unknown: Not very good, thanks to you._**

 ** _NatsuDragneel: Do you miss me, buddy? I miss you. 3_**

I huffed. This was going nowhere. I was gonna have to get to the point.

 ** _Unknown: Look, Sting. Stop saying dumb things under my name. It's causing me grief._**

 ** _NatsuDragneel: Can't do that._**

 ** _Unknown: Why?_**

 ** _NatsuDragneel: You ruined me, Natsu. Now its time for me to repay you._**

 ** _Unknown: Look, I did what I had to. Why can't you just let it go?_**

 ** _NatsuDragneel: Let it go? How can I just "let it go"? You're the reason I lost it all, the reason my dreams were crushed. I cannot, will not forgive you, you hear me? Never._**

 ** _Unknown: Sting, please._**

 ** _NatsuDragneel: This isn't it. I'm just starting._**

 ** _Unknown: Sting, please just listen to me._**

 ** _Unknown: Sting?_**

 ** _Unknown: Sting!_**

I groaned. He was gone. I rubbed my face, even more exhausted than I was a few minutes ago. I closed my laptop and jumped into bed. There was school tomorrow, and I needed the sleep.

* * *

The next morning, I trudged into the school, feeling like utter crap. I had been tossing and turning in the my bed most of the night, thinking about the conversation I had with Sting, and barely got any sleep.

As I walked inside the doors, I saw Levy and Lucy standing there talking to each other. When they noticed me, they waved and ran up to join me.

"Hey Natsu. Lucy was wondering if you took notes in Math last Friday. She was daydreaming and forgot to write them, and now she isn't prepared for the open-note test today," Levy said, snickering at the last part.

Lucy glared at her. "I did take notes! I just lost my notebook, that's all."

I dug into my bag and brought out my Math notes, shoving them at her. "Here. Sorry, but I'm gonna get something to eat."

I left them staring at me and walked into the cafeteria. School hadn't even started, and I already had a headache.

* * *

 _Levy POV_

We watched Natsu walk away and to the cafeteria, a frown on his face. We stared for a second, then looked at each other.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked. Lucy shrugged.

"Maybe he got into a fight with Gray?" she guessed.

"No, he'd be grumbling about him and insulting him," I pointed out.

Erza came in with Gray and Gajeel. "Hello, Lucy. Hello, Levy" Erza greeted.

"Hey Erza. Say, do you know what's going on with Natsu?"

"I don't think so. Why?"

Lucy and I looked at each other again. I turned back to them and explained what happened. Erza looked thoughtful. "It could be…"

"It could be what?"

She stared at us for second, then shook her head. "Look, I'm sure he'll tell us what's bothering him. We shouldn't be nosy. Now, let's go eat, okay?"

We all nodded. Lucy still looked bothered about it, and I knew what that meant. She was going to worry about it all day. I sighed. There was nothing I could do when she became like this but support as best as I could.

* * *

 _Natsu POV_

I sighed as I finished the Math test. I felt a bit better, but I still had a headache. I laid my head in my arms, hoping that I could get in a little nap before we went to our next class. I had English, and all we were doing in there was reading. I could use that time to sleep as well. Hopefully the headache would go away by then.

There was a tap on my desk, and I looked up to see a folded paper in front of me. I took it and opened up. On the paper was a question, and judging by the writing, it was Gajeel's. Hey, are you okay? I looked at him, who turned to peek at me. I sighed, then wrote my answer and gave it back to him. He opened it and read my message.

 ** _Yeah, I'm fine. Why are you asking?_**

 ** _I don't know. You seem a bit out of it today._**

 ** _I'm just thinking. That's all._**

 ** _You sure you're cool?_**

 ** _Yes. I am absolutely sure._**

 ** _The others are worried about you. You should tell them._**

 ** _Well, gee. Thanks for the advice, mom._**

"Damn it, you idiot," Gajeel muttered in front of me. I snickered, and Lucy looked up at me. _Everything alright?_ She mouthed.

 _Yep, all good,_ I replied. She nodded, then went back to her test.

After that class, there was English, where someone had put remote-control spiders in the classroom. You could tell it was fake, but the teacher freaked out, screaming so loudly that other students came in to investigate. I could by the way Romeo was snickering that he planned it. The prank was successful, so the points went to him. The day went by slowly, everyone constantly asking if I was fine, and me throwing around excuses. After awhile, they stopped asking, which I was glad about. Maybe they thought that it was because the anniversary was coming up; it was also because of that.

Why was Sting doing this now? It was seven years ago when we faced off; he had to let it go already. Despite being two years older than me, he acted like a child. I wondered if Rogue was there, trying to tell him not to do this and giving him advice about revenge and whatnot. Whatever was going on with them, I knew it couldn't be good.

Later, during lunch, I didn't feel like eating with the others because I felt like they were going to start with the questions again, so I grabbed my food and walked to the basketball court to eat there. No one was there, so it was nice and quiet. I ate, watching some prank videos on my phone. Watching them made me smile, and I lied down, thinking about when we first started this all. It was so much fun, battling each other.

I remember the day we decided to pull pranks at school. It had been the year after Gray and I had the prank battle, when we made it a yearly tradition. We had been at home, outside in the pool, and just talking about the upcoming school year.

"Man," I groaned, splashing Gray in the face with water. "There isn't much of an audience to watch us pull pranks."

Gray spluttered, "Stop splashing me, you idiot!"

"I would like it if there were more people to share the excitement with," Erza agreed.

Mirajane smiled. "But wouldn't that be more embarrassing, if a large crowd watched you get pranked?" Mirajane, Lisanna and Elfman came over for the day to hang out, and Elfman and Gajeel were in the weight room working out, while the girls stayed at the pool.

"Well yeah, but it'll be more fun if lots of people are there to watch it happen," I said, kicking my feet.

"I agree with Natsu," Erza said.

"You know," Gray started. "Normal twelve-year-olds just go to the mall or the beach or just talk about video games, and we're over here planning where to hold a Prank War."

"Well, being normal is kinda boring," I argued.

"Where can we do the Prank War?" Erza asked. "Someplace that's easy to set up at, has a lot of people, and is familiar territory?"

"How about school?" a voice piped up. We turned to Lisanna, who was sitting on the pavement, her feet in the water.

"School?" I echoed.

She nodded. "Yeah. Its a large crowd, you'll be familiar with everything, and you won't have to worry about getting into trouble, as long as you ask for permission."

Erza folded her arms. "That is actually a good spot."

Gray shrugged. "It could work."

Mirajane shook her head, but she was smiling. "You guys are ridiculous."

"Great job Lisanna!" I chirped. "That was a good idea."

Lisanna smiled. "Thanks, Natsu. That means a lot."

Mira giggled. "Yeah, especially coming from you."

Lisanna hit her sister, blushing. "Mira!"

"Sorry, sorry," she giggled some more.

That day was one of longest days of the summer, as we started to talk about how we would convince the adults to let us hold the Prank War. It was one of my favorite days, because…

"Natsu?"

I opened my eyes to see Lucy's face in my view. I jerked up really quickly, and our foreheads smacked together, a large cracking sound echoing out into the court area.

We groaned, Lucy rubbing her forehead. "Why did you do that?! My head hurts now!"

I glared at her. "Well, excuse me, Miss I'll-scare-the-crap-out-of-someone! I guess it's just normal when you open your eyes and see nothing but a close-up of a face!"

We scowled at each other for a few seconds, until her serious look cracked and she smiled. She started giggling, and after a moment I joined in, until the air was filled with our laughter. Lucy wiped the tears from her eyes, saying, "I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd freak out so badly."

"That's okay. So, why are you here?" She took a seat next to me as I sat up.

"Well, class started a while ago."

"What?" I checked the time on my phone, and saw that classes had, in fact, started twenty minutes ago. I groaned, thinking about what Gramps would have to say when he found out I hadn't been in PE. _Great. He's not gonna be happy._

Then I realized something. Twisting to look at her, I narrowed my eyes. "Wait a second. If classes are going on right now, then why are you here?"

Lucy smiled. "Because I am leaving school early."

"Really? What for?"

"To take you wherever you like."

I wasn't sure I heard her right. "What?"

"It's exactly what it sounds like." She stood up, dusting the dirt from her butt. "I asked to leave school early, and mom is gonna pick me up. You seemed kind of distracted the whole day, so everyone thought it would be a good idea for you to leave school early too. Makarov already gave permission, so it's fine."

I narrowed my eyes, not really convinced. "Are you sure? This isn't some prank, is it?"

Lucy sighed. "This is what holding a Prank War for six years does to a person. No, it isn't a prank. Don't tell him I said this, but Gray was worried about you too."

I cringed, thinking of what worried Gray looked like when it was directed at me. "I don't need it, thanks."

"Whatever." She held out her hand to me. I looked at it, then at her. "What?"

She huffed. "Take my hand."

"Oh, okay." As I grabbed her hand, a gentle breeze came, and Lucy's hair floated up, framing her face. I couldn't help but stare. The sun made her blonde hair glow, turning it into a shining golden color. Her warm chocolate eyes were bright, and the chill in the air made her cheeks pink. It was as if I were staring at a painting, one that only a very talented painter could make.

"You know," I couldn't help but say, "You're very pretty."

"What?" Her cheeks turned a darker shade of pink.

I smiled, standing up with her help. "Yeah. You act mean, and sometimes you're no fun, but you're very pretty."

She crossed her arms. "Well, geez. Thanks."

I grabbed a bit of her hair, and she became still. I studied it, asking, "How does it look so golden? Your mom and dad have more of a brownish gold."  
She shrugged. "I don't know. Mom says I get it from my grandmother."

"Oh, okay." I smiled. "So, you ready to go?"

* * *

 **Hope you liked it! I don't actually have much to say. Again, I'm really sorry about the whole "being late with chapters" thing. I hope you forgive me.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey, guys! Sorry about waiting so long to update, I had school to attend to, and it took up a lot of my time. Of course, that isn't any excuse to not let you know at least, but I hope you can forgive me (If you're still reading...) I finally have a new chapter so...**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 11

 _Lucy POV_

I looked at Natsu from the back seat as he talked to Mom about school. We were on the highway, and we were waiting for the green light to turn green so we could go. When Mom picked us up, she said that we were going out to have fun, so I suppose the whole doctor's appointment was rescheduled.

"Yeah, it feels a bit weird, already being in my last year of high school." Natsu proclaimed, stretching in the passenger seat as best as he could. "But I'm so glad to get it over with!"

Mom chuckled. "But aren't you going to college?"

His eyes widened. "Oh my god, you're right. Damn it!" Mom laughed at him. She really liked Natsu, and was always asking if he was coming over for dinner.

"So what are you going to do after college? Do you have anything you want to pursue?"

Natsu scratched his head. "Not really, I guess. I mean, I have my art, but I'm not sure about it."

"Oh, you're an artist? I didn't know!"

"Yeah, but its only a hobby of mine. Not sure if I wanna turn it into a career."

Mom turned to him. "Well, I'm sure your art is amazing, Natsu."

"Thanks, Mrs. Heartfilia."

"Mom, the light's green."

She turned left, and after a while of driving, we arrived at the mall. After we parked the car and walked inside, we spent the next half hour walking around and looking at clothes and other things like backpacks and furniture and tableware. Then we grabbed some ice cream and took a little break.

"So, sweetie, how is Cheerleading going?" Mom asked as we watched other people walk around.

I shrugged. "It's going good. We're getting ready for the game next Saturday."

"That must be nice."

"I suppose. We're learning a dance routine for the half time, though some of the girls won't be there to perform at the game."

"Wait, what game?" Natsu asked, turning to me.

"The game on Saturday. We're playing against Lamia Scale."

"Oh, really? Well, Gray isn't gonna be too happy."

I tilted my head. "Really? Why?"

"Well, Gray and a guy named Lyon don't get along very well. They're rivals, and they've known each other since they were little."

"Then why don't they go to the same school?"

"Because they hate each other's guts."

I raised my eyebrows. "Really? That's all? I thought it would be something a bit more serious, like they were part of enemy gangs."

"Well, if they saw each other, they could destroy half of the school."

My jaw dropped. "What?!"

"Hey honey, I'll be right back." Mom stood up.

"What? Where are you going?"

"There's a sale down there, and I want to check it out. I'll be back in a bit."

"Okay." We watched her walk away to check out whatever sale she was talking about, then sat there in silence. It felt so awkward, being around him. My heart was racing, I was sweating, and I felt so short of breath. _What is wrong with me?_ I asked myself, taking a lick of ice cream to do something. _This is Natsu we're talking about; am I really gonna get nervous around him?_

"Hey," he said suddenly. Out of surprise, I squeaked, "What?"

"I gotta take a leak. I'll be back." He stood up and started walking away, done with his ice cream.

"Natsu, wait! Don't just…" I trailed off as he disappeared into the nearest bathroom. "…Leave me."

I sighed, sipping some of my melted ice cream. "Great. Just great. That jerk left me by myself."

"Yeah, he's a jerk, isn't he, leaving a pretty girl alone." An unfamiliar voice said behind me. I turned to see who it was. Two boys were standing there, smirking at me. One had bright red, curly hair and freckles, and the other was wearing a bandana.

Bandana boy said, "Hey, the name's Tyler, and this is Mike. It seems that your boyfriend left you all alone. How about you ditch him and hang out with us?"

Natsu wasn't my boyfriend, but they didn't need to know that. "Sorry," I apologized, plastering a smile on my face. "But I'm fine. He'll come back, so you should leave."

"Oh come on, don't be shy. We wanna have some fun." Suddenly those smiles became dark, and I could tell by the look in their eyes that it was the type of fun that I didn't want to engage in.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I'll just stay here." I tried to politely reject them again, but just like in the movies, they didn't know how to take a hint.

"Come on, we don't bite. And we promise you won't regret it." Tyler grabbed and started pulling me with him. I struggled to break his grip. "And I told you, I don't want to go with you!"

"Come on now, don't be—AAAGHH!"

Suddenly he was yelling, and he let go of my hand. I looked to see why he was screaming, and saw Natsu there, twisting Tyler's arm behind his back. Mike was on the ground, clutching his stomach and groaning.

Natsu seemed to be angry, but not in his expression, you could tell by the way the air felt, which sounded stupid but was true. It felt heated, like when you're close to a fire.

"Don't touch Lucy, do you understand?" He said slowly. "She's my girl, and you don't mess with my girl."

"Hey, we were just talking," Tyler started to say, but gasped in pain as Natsu twisted his arm some more.

Natsu calmly said, "Next time you try to force a girl to do what you want, I will make sure that you can never use this arm properly again. Do you understand me?"

When Tyler grunted, "Yes," Natsu released him and walked up to me. As soon as he walked past him, Tyler turned and pulled something out of his pocket. It wasn't until it glinted in the sunlight that I realized what it was. _No! He's gonna stab Natsu with a knife!_ As he lunged towards Natsu, I opened my mouth to yell.

Suddenly Natsu spun around and caught Tyler's wrist, simultaneously swinging his elbow and hitting Tyler in the face. There was a loud crack and Tyler staggered back, holding his nose as it started bleeding.

A small crowd was forming, and I was afraid that there would be a full-on fight. But, the only thing Natsu said to him was, "Leave," and Tyler obliged, stumbling off while his friend Mike followed.

Natsu gave the knife to an officer that ran up to us and explained the whole thing, then pointed the direction in which the boys went, and the officer and his partner went to find them. The pink-haired boy turned to me. "Are you okay, Lucy?"

I rubbed my arms, feeling shook. "I'm okay; just a little rattled."

"Sorry about all that. If I had stayed, they would've left you alone and walked on."

"And attack some other helpless girl? I at least had you, but I dont think their next target would've had somebody to protect her."

He scratched his head. "I suppose."

"Yeah. And you were really fast." I replayed the whole scene of Natsu disarming him again. Such speed, and he seemed to do the whole thing without any effort, like it was second nature for him. I could only imagine him fighting someone for real. He'd beat the other person, and possibly only be a little winded.

He shrugged. "Well, Gramps taught me all I know about fighting, and so did Erza, Gray, Gajeel, and lots of other people. He's the best fighter that you would ever know." He grinned at that last statement.

He looked so happy and proud of his grandfather, I couldn't help but smile back. A few minutes later, Mom joined up with us again, and when we told her what happened she freaked out.

"I should've been here with you. If I had been, they would've left you alone. I'm so sorry honey! I won't leave you alone ever again," Mom exclaimed, guilt evident in her face, and I smiled. "Don't worry about it, it's fine. And Natsu was there to protect me."

She turned to Natsu and gave him a big hug. "I'm so grateful to you, Natsu. Thank you for protecting my daughter; I don't know what I would've done if something happened to her."

Natsu smiled, blushing a little. "Well, it was nothing Mrs. Heartfilia. I'd do anything to protect Lucy." I blushed. What did that mean? Did he mean as a friend, or something more?

Mom's smile turned a little smug, like she knew some secret that we didn't know. _Oh god, what is Mom thinking now?_ Whatever it was, I felt like it couldn't be good.

"Well, I suppose we can keep looking around, if you guys are still up for it."

"Okay." We continued to walk around, going into stores when Mom saw something she liked, and playing at the arcade, Natsu winning all the games we played. After the arcade, we went to the food court and got some food. Natsu ate two whole pizzas on his own, while I was only able to eat three slices. When we were done eating, we walked out. As we did, I heard someone call my name.

I looked around, and saw Juvia running up to us. "Lucy," she said again, smiling as she came up to me. "Juvia—I am so happy to see you."

I smiled back at her. "Hey Juvia. Are you here to get something?"

"Yes. I was shopping for some new fabric, and saw you walking around. I was hoping to give this to you at your house, but seeing you here really works out." She held out a big shopping bag for me, and I took it. "You didn't have to get me anything, Juvia."

"Oh, Juvia made it." I looked at her, and she smiled. She really was such a sweet girl. My smile grew. "Thank you, Juvia. You shouldn't have."

She blushed and shrugged her shoulders, sheepishly looking at the ground. "It was nothing. It was least I could do to repay your kindness."

"You're Juvia?" Juvia turned to Mom as she said, "Lucy never told me how cute you are."

Juvia blushed even more. "Thank you, Mrs. Heartfilia. I wish I were as beautiful as you."

"Oh, thank you sweetheart," Mom gushed. "It's nice to know that my daughter has such sweet friends."

Juvia and Mom started talking and Natsu sidled up to me. "What's in the bag?" he asked, and I shrugged. I opened the bag and pulled out the packing paper, handing it to Natsu to hold as I looked inside.

"You know, you should come over for dinner sometime—" Mom, Juvia and Natsu jumped when I yelled, quickly grabbing the packing paper and throwing it back into the bag, closing it. They all stared at me for a few seconds.

Mom finally asked, "Sweetie, are you okay?"

"Just fine and dandy, mom," I squeaked, my face burning.

"Okay then. Well, Juvia, if you don't mind, would you like to join us? I'd like to talk with you some more."

Juvia nodded. " Of course, I would like that!" They started walking off, chatting about sewing, and Natsu looked at me.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Really? Because that scream was something else."

"I really am fine."

"Okay." I could tell he didn't believe me, but we didn't say anything else, just followed after Mom and Juvia.

* * *

I plopped down onto my bed and sighed. After hanging out at the mall some more, we noticed it was getting late, so we dropped Juvia and Natsu off at their house. Before Natsu got out of the car, he handed me a little box and said to open it up when I got home. I tried to ask him what it was but he was already running to his house. I sighed. I guess I was gonna have to open it.

I grabbed the box Natsu gave me and stared at it for a second. Was it a gift, or a prank he was pulling on me? _Geez, hanging out with them making me suspicious of everything._ I stared at it for a few more seconds, then sighed again. Well, if I wanted to know what it was, then I was gonna have to open it up.

Slowly opening the lid, I peeked inside. And what I saw made me gasp.

I picked up a pocket watch pendant. On the front were roman numerals etched into it and a circular opening in the middle showing the inside, the minute and hour hand. On the inside were the numbers one to twelve for the hours of the day, and on the back there was an engraving of sunflowers. I looked into the box to see if there was any note, and there was. I picked it up and unfolded the paper, reading it. Here's a present. I know how you like antiques and all. It isn't the best thing I could find, but when I saw it, I immediately thought of you, so I bought it. I hope you like it. -Natsu.

There was a knock at my door, and I turned to see Mom standing there. "What's that, sweetie?"

"The thing Natsu gave me."

She walked up and looked at it. "Oh, how cute. You know, he is such a sweet and friendly boy. And nice too."

"Yeah, he is." She looked at me. "Honey, what's wrong? Your face is red."

I touched my face, and my cheeks were warm. How red was I? "I'm fine, I'm fine," I waved off her concern. "Have you made dinner already?"

"No, I have not. I need to go do that. I'll call you when it's ready." She kissed my cheek and walked out of my room. As soon as she was gone, I flopped onto my bed, the pendant in my hand. I grabbed my pillow, buried my face in it, and I squealed. When I was done, I threw my pillow to the side, and stared at the ceiling, my cheeks still warm. I thought about the gift Natsu gave me, and the encounter with the boys at the mall.

 _She's my girl, and you don't mess with my girl._ I closed my eyes. Even though he probably said that to get the boys to leave me alone, for a split second, I wanted that to be true. I groaned and covered my face. Did that I mean I liked him?

I stretched, my arms hitting the bag Juvia gave me. I looked at it for a few seconds, then sat up and pulled it to me, bringing out what was inside. Inside were two handmade dolls of Natsu, one larger than the other. I grabbed the smaller one and looked into it's button eyes. They were a dark green, just like the colors of his eyes, and the color of the hair was accurate.

Sighing, I hugged the doll to me and said to my room, "I like Natsu." As soon as I said it out loud I realized that I had liked him for a while now. Even though I told myself before that I didn't like him, it was painstakingly obvious that I did. Levy was right, and I didn't like that she was right.

I liked Natsu. I wondered if everyone else knew, since Levy figured it out so quickly. I did make it pretty easy for the others to know, so they most likely knew. Did that mean Natsu might know? The thought of him knowing I had a crush on him made me blush, but the embarrassment went away just as quickly. _He's pretty clueless. There's no way he could know._ But I still felt a bit nervous about it. How was I supposed to act around him now that I knew I liked him?

I sighed again. _What am I gonna do now?_

* * *

 **Well, finally she admits it, huh? I hope this wasn't too quick for you guys, and if you want to read all the chapters again so you can remember what the heck is going on (I'm really sorry about the long wait) then you can do that.**

 **Thanks for reading, and Tootaloo!**


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